European Tour 8- Baltic Sea Darts Open Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 30th May)

There are some really good looking matches to be played at the European Tour event in Kiel as the Seeded players join the Baltic Sea Darts Open.

However, it feels like the margins are pretty tight and only two selections will be made from the two Sessions to be played.

Both Picks are from the Day Session, but there will hopefully be stronger options to get behind on Day 3 when the tournament is completed.

Luke Woodhouse to win & over 1.5 180s v Andrew Gilding: In the space of three Players Championship tournaments played earlier this month, both Andrew Gilding and Luke Woodhouse won titles for the first time on the floor.

The latter of those saw Luke Woodhouse beat Andrew Gilding 8-4 in the Final, but both disappointed days later at the European Tour event last weekend.

Luke Woodhouse is one of the Seeded players here and so joins the Baltic Sea Darts Open in the Second Round, but Andrew Gilding does have a win under his belt from the Day Session on Friday. That will at least make himself feel better after the very early loss at the International Darts Open against a struggling opponent, whereas Luke Woodhouse came up short against Kevin Doets having rallied to force a decider.

Both players are capable of heavy scoring, but Luke Woodhouse has perhaps found that treble 20 bed with a bit more regularity and that should see him edge past Goldfinger.

He will have to score well and Luke Woodhouse can add a couple of maximums on his way through to the Third Round.

Joe Cullen to win & over 1.5 180s v Dave Chisnall: Three years ago, Dave Chisnall won the title here, but it has been a tough season for the World Number 26.

Dave Chisnall has lost five of the last six matches played and looked completely out of sorts when being beaten 6-0 by James Wade last week.

His head to head with Joe Cullen will give Dave Chisnall some confidence, but the former has won a match in the tournament and was very unfortunate to loss to Ross Smith last week at European Tour 7. The fact that Ross Smith went on to win the title last time out will at least mean Joe Cullen can believe he is playing well having come up short against the eventual Champion.

As stated before, Joe Cullen can be very difficult to trust with his inconsistencies, but he has produced more positive recent form compared with Dave Chisnall and that could show up in this Second Round match.

MY PICKS: Luke Woodhouse to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Joe Cullen to Win & Over 1.5 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Baltic Sea Darts Open: 3-1, + 2.29 Units (4 Units Staked, + 57.25% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 7 Picks 2026 (Saturday 30th May)

Jannik Sinner was beaten and Carlos Alcaraz never made it to Paris and so many Novak Djokovic fans would have been hoping the quest to win a 25th Grand Slam title would end in Paris over the next several days.

At 2-0 ahead in the Third Round, all seemed to be going to plan.

However, Jose Fonseca was able to fight back and outlast the 39 year old and become just the second player to ever beat Novak Djokovic from that position.

Over the next few days and then weeks into Wimbledon, fans will question whether Novak Djokovic will ever have a better chance to win another Grand Slam- even Djokovic has to be wondering if there is enough left in the tank to put together a seven match winning run to do that.

Despite the loss of some big names, the French Open will continue moving forward and the first week of the tournament officially comes to a conclusion on Saturday when the Third Round is completed.

There are some quality players looking to cement their own berths into the second week of this Grand Slam, but they will have to manage what is forecasted to be the one last day of challenging hot conditions. Rain is expected in Paris on Saturday evening and that is going to cool things down, although the roof on the main show court at Roland Garros could be getting significant use over the next several days.

Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 games v Daria Kasatkina: After seeing the likes of Elena Rybakina and Jannik Sinner dumped out of the French Open before the end of the first week, Aryna Sabalenka and her fans will be happy with the relatively comfortable progress being made.

The wins have not stood out, but they have seen Aryna Sabalenka work herself into the matches and then go through the gears in the second set and the World Number 1 should not have been overly taxed through two Rounds. The match up in this Third Round contest is one that should appeal to Aryna Sabalenka and she has been set as a big favourite, which is not going to be a surprise to anyone.

It has been just shy of two years since Aryna Sabalenka last faced Daria Kasatkina on the Tour, but the former has won seven of the previous seven matches, including the last four in a row. Those have been one-sided wins, although Daria Kasatkina may feel her best chances of upsetting the top Seed will be on a clay court.

She represents Australia these days and at 29 years old, it does feel like Daria Kasatkina's best days are behind her- the World Ranking reflects that with Kasatkina outside of the top 32 having been a top 20 Ranked player twelves month ago.

Over the last twelve months on all surfaces, Daria Kasatkina holds a 20-18 record and that is down to the two wins she has produced at the French Open. Beating opponents Ranked 66 and 218 is not going to prepare Kasatkina for the challenge of facing the very best player on the Tour, while she holds a 6-4 record on the hard courts when facing top 100 Ranked players this season.

Only one of those players has been Ranked inside the top 20 and Daria Kasatkina will be well aware that she is going to have to play some of her best tennis in recent times to offer up a challenge to Aryna Sabalenka.

It should be noted that Aryna Sabalenka had limited clay court preparation ahead of the French Open this season, but that match up against Daria Kasatkina should give the top Seed the confidence to roll through this Third Round match.

Aryna Sabalenka has broken the Daria Kasatkina serve at least four times in each of the last eight matches played against one another and there is a vulnerability to that part of the latter's tennis.

Both previous clay court matches have been won by Aryna Sabalenka too, including once here at Roland Garros, while the heat of Paris should make the Belarusian's serve a key difference between the players.

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 games v Diane Parry: There is no telling how things may have changed within a match if Julia Grabher was fully healthy, but that is not Amanda Anisimova's issue and she has made it through to the Third Round at the French Open having needed to win just three sets.

After missing the entirety of the clay court season, there will be a concern that Amanda Anisimova will be undercooked the longer this tournament goes on. That is especially the concern if the American is not having to win full matches to progress, although Amanda Anisimova has previously enjoyed enough positive runs at the French Open to feel very confident in her ability.

It probably helps that Amanda Anisimova is moving through a pretty comfortable portion of the draw.

Next up there will be the challenge of facing a home player on what can be rowdy French Open courts, but Amanda Anisimova is rightly set as the favourite she goes up against Diane Parry in the Third Round at Roland Garros.

Diane Parry had shown little form on the clay courts with four straight defeats on the red dirt, but things turned around in Paris, albeit at a 125 level event played earlier in the month. She won the title there and looks to have found some confidence, despite a Second Round exit in Strasbourg last week.

The tournament could have been over for Diane Parry in the First Round when she failed to win a game in the first set against Anhelina Kalinina, but the confidence earned over the last three weeks perhaps turn that match back around. A much more routine win was produced in the Second Round against a Seeded American, but Diane Parry will know that Amanda Anisimova brings a different level of test.

The key for the World Number 92 is going to be serving well and seeing if she can put some pressure on Amanda Anisimova.

However, that would also need Diane Parry to pick up her level on the return and this Third Round match could be one in which Amanda Anisimova is able to turn up the heat to eventually overwhelm the home player.

Covering will be a test, but Amanda Anisimova can find the Breaks needed to edge past this number.

Flavio Cobolli - 1.5 sets v Learner Tien: The upset of the tournament in the Second Round saw Jannik Sinner leaving the French Open draw and that has opened up the top half of the Men's draw at this Grand Slam.

Italians will be very disappointed that the World Number 1 has exited before the start of the second week, but Jannik Sinner's pain could be his compatriot's gain- Flavio Cobolli is the second highest Seed left in the top half of the draw and he has made comfortable progress through the first couple of Rounds.

Flavio Cobolli has not dropped a set in two wins in Paris, but neither player he has beaten have been Ranked higher than Number 92 and that means this is a significant step upwards in the Third Round.

Pressure will have intensified on all in the top half knowing that a huge opportunity has opened up to reach a Grand Slam Final and that is something that Flavio Cobolli will have to deal with. Last year he reached the Quarter Final at Wimbledon, but the clay courts should be a more comfortable surface, although Cobolli has to respect the talent of the player standing on the other side of the net.

In the sole previous match between these players, it was Learner Tien who came through very comfortably, but that was a match played on the clay courts.

Learner Tien did win the title in Geneva in the week leading up to the French Open, and he has now won six clay court matches in succession having previously been just 3-3 on the surface in 2026. Winning the title in Geneva really came out of left field and before this run of wins, Learner Tien had been just 8-14 in clay court matches in his career and that suggests Flavio Cobolli should have perhaps been set as a harder favourite.

In the Second Round, Learner Tien needed five sets and over four hours on the court and that is a potential factor for a player who did not take the week away from action directly before this Grand Slam tournament began. In matches played against top 50 Ranked opponents, Tien had been 1-6 before the run in Geneva when he won three such matches, but he is going to have to dig pretty deep to beat Flavio Cobolli on this surface.

There is so much to like about the way Learner Tien approaches his tennis, but it is Flavio Cobolli who has the edge when it comes to the serving numbers and that could be key.

The lower Ranked player has shown a bit more resiliency in the return, but Flavio Cobolli should be the fresher player on the court and that can see him find a way to win this one, most likely in four sets.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka - 6.5 Games @ 1.95 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Amanda Anisimova - 5.5 Games @ 2.05 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Diana Shnaider - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Coco Gauff - 4.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Flavio Cobolli - 1.5 Sets @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

Raphael Collignon - 1.5 Sets @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Frances Tiafoe - 1.5 Sets @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

French Open Update: 14-10, + 2.88 Units (46 Units Staked, + 6.26% Yield)

NBA Playoffs 2026- Conference Finals Games 5-7 (Tuesday 26th May-Sunday 31st May)

Most New York Knicks will say there have been a lot more downs than ups in the last quarter of a century as a fan of this team.

There have been marked improvements since the signing of Jalen Brunson and some of the other trades/signings that have been made to push the New York Knicks back into contention just a few years after they finished with the worst record in the NBA (17 wins in 2019).

Years of poor decisions had caught up with a team that had barely challenged since the Eastern Conference Finals of 2000.

Last year the Knicks finally made it back to the Conference Finals before running out steam against the Indiana Pacers, but the moves made between 2019 and 2026 have to be hugely respected and the entire organisation deserves some credit for being patient, which has not really been a feature of the Knicks.

Even then, this current Knicks roster deserves so much respect- they were not considered as Eastern Conference favourites even after winning the NBA Cup, but the team have found a positive formula at a very good time and eleven straight wins have finally brought the NBA Finals back to Gotham.

The performances in those eleven wins will have raised expectations, but the Western Conference Champion will be favourite when those Finals begin next Wednesday.

As a Knicks fan, everyone will be praying for a seven game Series out West and there is every chance of that happening with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder tied at 2-2 and with the momentum shifting from game to game.

Game 5 feels like it could be decisive and that is going to be played on Tuesday.

Hopefully the New York Knicks are getting themselves rested and ready for what could be a special June.

NBA Playoff Picks- Conference Finals Game 5-7

Tuesday 26th May

San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 5 Pick: Victor Wembanyama was hugely critical of himself after the Game 3 loss at home and he came out in Game 4 looking to make a statement for the San Antonio Spurs.

For the second time in the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama decided to take over a game and for the second time the Spurs won to level up the Series before heading back to the home of the defending Champions.

Game 4 adjustments saw the Spurs move away from double-teaming Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and force the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar to get the ball out of his hands.

This time the Spurs looked comfortable allowing different players to challenge the regular season MVP and make sure they were not going to allow the Thunder shooters to spot up and make uncontested shots. With both Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams out of the rotation, the Spurs clearly believed they could take whatever Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was able to put together and would simply make others miss.

It worked- the Thunder had four players contribute at least 10 points from the bench in Game 3, but that was reduced to just two in Game 4, while the contested shots meant the Thunder moved from 17 three pointers in Game 3 to just 6 last time out.

Expecting little reaction from the Oklahoma City Thunder would be a mistake and there will be adjustments made by the defending Champions in what feels like a hugely important Game 5 for both of these teams.

The blowout might actually not be a bad thing for either team in Game 4- after the Double Overtime of Game 1, that blowout has allowed the key players to have significantly less time on the court last time out and that can only be a positive, but for both teams.

There has to be a concern in the home ranks that they are losing those players who can handle the ball in place of SGA, but this is a team that has overcome adversity time and time again over the last eighteen months. That experience can help with just a day of rest between games again, while being back home should be more comfortable for the role players who struggled all around in Game 4.

San Antonio fans will want to see Wemby continue to dominate, but they will also feel there is room for improvement from the three point range after a 27% effort in Game 4- some of the shooters were wide open playing off of Victor Wembanyama, but those shots need to start falling if the Spurs are going to earn the upset.

If they are going to reach the NBA Finals, the Spurs need another win on the road and this Game 5 will feel like a really good time to do that.

Historically Game 5 of the Conference Finals has been dominated by the higher Seeds and the favourites, which is something that the Oklahoma City Thunder are in both categories ahead of this one. Teams that have lost Game 4 have also bounced back very well in Game 5, which all points to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this may be a spread where we have to go against recent trends and back the San Antonio Spurs to cover.

An aggressive Victor Wembanyama will be needed for that to happen and the Spurs may have found something from their superstar in Game 4 that can carry over to this one and at least give the San Antonio Spurs a chance to cover, even if they cannot win outright.

Thursday 28th May

Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs Game 6 Pick: When you look at Victor Wembanyama and the size he has over most in the NBA you can be forgiven for forgetting that he is still a young player in the League and one who has never played in the pressurised environment of the post-season before 2026.

With that in mind, it cannot be a surprise when the superstar has a 'learning game' and that is what Game 5 will feel like for Wembanyama and for the fans.

There is no doubting that Wemby has a real desire to be seen as the best basketball player in the world and he has all of the tools to become that- some have put pressure on the Frenchman to crown himself by helping the San Antonio Spurs reach the NBA Finals, but they are now a game away from elimination... And that has a lot to do with an awful outing from Victor Wembanyama.

He was bullied out of the paint and a 4-15 shooting day is not going to cut it, while the Spurs missed Victor Wembanyama's presence around the boards on both ends of the floor. The role players tried to keep the Spurs going, but San Antonio are well aware that Wembanyama needs to be operating at his best if they are going to win the Western Conference Finals.

It was a dud in Game 5 and the Spurs lost- the two best performances produced by Victor Wembanyama in this Series in Game 1 and Game 4 have both ended in San Antonio wins and they will need him to give all that he has to force this Series back to Oklahoma City for a decider.

Minor adjustments have to be made and you have to think the Spurs Coaching staff are going to encourage Victor Wembanyama to take more control at both ends of the court. It has been a tough, physical Series and there were signs of some wear and tear, but being back at home offers everyone on the San Antonio roster a boost.

The defending Champions Oklahoma City Thunder will be much more grateful for the poor effort produced by Wemby considering their own star Shai-Gilgeous Alexander also put together a below par effort. He still contributed plenty, but the Spurs would have looked at that SGA stat-line and feel they have missed an opportunity to get in front and close out this Conference Finals at home on Thursday.

Both Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell missed out- the latter is going to miss Game 6 and the former remans Questionable.

Despite those absences, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have been pleased with the way the bench kept the team in front of the San Antonio Spurs and held off some of the rallies.

Four of the five starters scored at least 12 points, while Alex Caruso recovered from a poor Game 4 to produce 22 points from the bench.

The Thunder have to expect a reaction and the role players have tended to find things more challenging on the road. Oklahoma City had the edges in terms of efficiency of the three point shooting and also won on the glass and that will give them encouragement, although the team will likely need more as they look to reach the NBA Finals and earn some rest before those begin next week.

Teams that have won Game 5 have tended to back that up in Game 6 and those in a close out spot are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven games when this situation has come up.

However, Number 1 Seeds have not been the best to back when they have been set as small favourites or underdogs and there is almost certainly going to be some kind of reaction from Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

They missed an opportunity in Game 5, but the fans are going to be right behind the Spurs and that should help this team at least force a one game decider back out on the road this weekend.

Covering will be tough, but this is a Spurs team that will be listening to the criticism and they can come out with more authority from the opening tip as they did in Game 4 here.

Saturday 30th May

San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder Game 7 Pick: Every single New York Knicks fan out there will have been very happy to see the Western Conference Finals go to seven games for the first time in eight years.

Both Conference Finals reached seven games in 2018 and the Golden State Warriors ended up sweeping the Eastern Conference Champions Cleveland Cavaliers, but in 2026, the New York Knicks are going to be well rested as they await to see whether they are visiting San Antonio or Oklahoma City for Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals next week.

As expected, Victor Wembanyama came out in Game 6 with a chip on his shoulder and he produced a big First Quarter and dominant opening half to put the San Antonio Spurs in a position to win and force this Game 7 decider.

Of course you have to credit the other players around Wembanyama for their performances and it was a big run in the Third Quarter with Wemby on the bench that saw the San Antonio Spurs break the game open and eventually tie things up.

It is going to feel like the momentum is back with the San Antonio Spurs, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are defending Champions and they have been very good at home over the last two post-season runs. Last year the Thunder finished 11-2 at home in the Playoffs and they are 6-1 this season with a couple of comfortable wins recorded over the San Antonio Spurs in these Western Conference Finals.

Game 6 was another poor effort from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the role players struggled on the road, which has been a thing in the NBA in recent years.

The MVP is always going to be under pressure to lead the team, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 19 Points in Game 4 and 15 Points in Game 6... Those are numbers that are simply not going to get the job done.

However, in Game 5 back at home, SGA scored 32 Points and that was key, even if sixteen of those came at the Free Throw line.

Both teams are well aware that the role players are important, but this is a Conference Finals that will be decided by the two star players on either side of the court.

When Victor Wembanyama has played well, the Spurs have won, but the three games in which they have lost, the 22 year old has shown some of the inexperience of playing in a first NBA Playoff run. The Frenchman came out with a lot more energy and aggressive intent in Game 6 and that opened things up for the other San Antonio Spurs to step up and it is imperative for the road team that Victor Wembanyama comes out with a similar mindset.

It is a make or miss League though and not everyone will be comfortable with Wemby trying to line up three pointers instead of trying to dominate the paint and opening up those shooting lanes for others.

He was more active around the boards, which was hugely important for the Spurs, but there still has to be more to come from the likes of De'Aaron Fox if San Antonio are going to win for a second time on the road.

Oklahoma City welcomed back Jalen Williams for Game 6, but he offered limited minutes from the bench and also struggled when he was on the floor, which is not a big surprise. The Thunder will hope J-Dub can offer more in this 'win or go home' setting, while a deep bench has to win those moments when Victor Wembanyama is on the bench.

Both teams will have no excuses for fatigue after key players were withdrawn pretty early in Game 6 as things got out of hand for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but picking a winner is tough.

All respect has to be given to the Thunder for the way they have bounced back at home on two occasions already in the Western Conference Finals, while they can expect role players to be more comfortable in front of their own fans. This is an experienced team that won the NBA Championship eleven months ago and the Thunder are 17-3 at home over the last two post-season runs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can be more of an influence at home after a couple of below par efforts on the road, but the others around him have to find spacing and make their shots.

The Thunder have been better at doing that home, while recent Game 7s in Conference Finals offer little in terms of trends- they have tended to be lower scoring, but the line for this Game 7 is pretty tight in terms of the total, while the team that won Game 6 is only 3-3 both straight up and against the spread in this decider to reach the NBA Finals.

Both teams have won once on the road in this Western Conference Finals, but the lean for the selection is backing this Game 7 to end up over the totals line set.

Three point shooting has been something both teams have tried to use to open things up inside the paint, while fouls have led to a number of Free Throws. The last six Game 7s in Conference Finals have all finished 'under' the total, but four of the six games in the Western Conference Finals have ended with the total surpassed and that would have been the case in Game 6 if the starters had been on the court for longer than they were with that one ending a couple of points shy of an 'over' hitting.

Simply put it is hard to pick a winner- there is perhaps some value in picking the San Antonio Spurs to win outright, rather than backing them with this small number of points on the handicap. If they cover, it is more than likely going to be in a straight up win, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have likely got another punch in them and this may come down to which of the role players steps up for longest to back up the superstars, who have to also have big outings.

MY PICKS: 26/05 San Antonio Spurs + 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

28/05 San Antonio Spurs - 3.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

30/05 Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs Over 212.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Conference Finals: 9-2, + 6.24 Units (11 Units Staked, + 56.73% Yield)

Second Round: 5-8, - 3.45 Units (13 Units Staked, - 26.54% Yield)

First Round: 15-17, - 3.28 Units (32 Units Staked, - 10.25% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 6 Picks 2025 (Friday 30th May)

There are just some tournaments that seem to fly in the face of 'normal' and it really feels like something odd is happening at the French Open, especially through the first week of the tournament.

Regardless of how much the top players dominate a match, it is like the lower Ranked guys or underdogs have been given a boost in power and that they are able to play the big points that much better than those who have been picking up titles and operating in the higher echelons of the sport.

Case in point- Day 5 proved to be another awfully frustrating day in which nothing is seemingly as it should be.

Two massive favourites blew 2-0 lead to be downed in five sets (Alex De Minaur being one of those), while another, Arthur Fils, only just about hung on a fifth set decider having allowed his opponent to recover from two sets down as well.

Or how about two players winning 31 and 28 points more than their opponents, but going 1-1 in terms of covering the same line- Alexander Zverev managed a late break to do that, but Andrey Rublev crushed Adam Walton everywhere barring the scoreboard. While both struggled, Jannik Sinner won 29 more points than Richard Gasquet and covered his bigger line set, but for the Tennis Picks the 1-1 from those two players mentioned has added to the tournament following the 2024 Australian Open in finding a way to have losing selections when everything has pointed to the match ending on the winning side.

It has been the story of the French Open and it makes little sense to understand- the numbers, in this case, are not being backed up by the final scores and the frustration about that is setting in.

You can accept losing selections, that will happen over the course of a tournament and over the course of the year, but this has all of the hallmarks of what happened in Australia last year when the tournament just trended in a negative direction and against all sense or reason.

Over the last three or four days, there have been a number of matches that have drifted away from a strong position and that is not something that can continue to happen without thinking about shutting down the selections and clearing the mind for the grass court campaign and run through Wimbledon.

It was not only the 2-3 record, but what has really frustrated me over the last couple of days is the absolute hardship that any winner has had, and the shocking way some of the losers have come in.

To sum it up, Jack Draper's miss by a single game.

Not only did he have 22 Break Points compared with Gael Monfils, but in the fourth set those numbers were 13 and 3, but take a guess who struck first and who had to fight back and barely miss any covering opportunity?! It has been happening time and again in this tournament, and the fact is that he won 27 more points in the match and was still only able to win by a six game margin.

Ultimately that is just annoying me, like it did in Melbourne a little under eighteen months ago and the lesson has been learned that some tournaments simply do not make any sense and it is no point trying to work them out.

Even the winning selections are in matches where players have barely covered, despite absolutely crushing opponents, while the Andrey Rublev missed cover was another joke if I am being honest. He could not have been any more on top and that match would end with a much, much more comfortable winning margin if played the same way, but just on another day.

There is so much of a season to go and I will continue to have some thoughts on upcoming matches, which will be researched as normal, and perhaps this Bizzaro World of the Roland Garros tournament will begin to make more sense.

But the reality is I am not prepared to blow the season work when there is clearly something amiss right now and now with so much tennis left to play in 2025.

Sebastian Korda v Frances Tiafoe: Two American players meet in the Third Round at the French Open and with what will feel like a big opportunity to reach the second week at a Grand Slam where they perhaps hold the lowest expectations.

Neither Sebastian Korda nor Frances Tiafoe can really point to a lot of quality form on the European clay courts and the warm up events have been about what is to be expected from them.

Both had losing records on the European clay, but Sebastian Korda can at least say that three of his four losses have been against top 30 Ranked opponents, including against solid clay competitors in Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud. The exception was a loss to Jaume Munar, but Frances Tiafoe has also lost to the Spaniard since arriving in Europe and the World Number 16 had lost his previous three clay court matches to those Ranked Number 44 or lower.

With that in mind, Sebastian Korda may feel he has been a victim of poor draws rather than upsets and he has beaten Frances Tiafoe in three straight matches to give him belief in winning this Third Round match.

The only previous clay court match was won by Frances Tiafoe in 2022, but he was a fortunate winner on that day having created half of the Break Points that his compatriot had against him.

Credit has to be given to both players for the solid wins they have earned at the French Open in 2025, and that will give them the confidence to take into this match. It feels like one that will need four or maybe even five sets, but Sebastian Korda has had more recent success at Roland Garros and that may still be a factor.

In recent matches between the pair, Sebastian Korda has looked the stronger player and his pre-tournament form does feel like an edge in his favour.

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: The best win that either of these players have produced in the tournament is the one that Daniel Altmaier secured over Taylor Fritz. This upset has opened up this little section of the draw and the opportunity to earn a spot in the second week of a Grand Slam comes with huge Ranking points, as well as being a confidence builder.

That is the opportunity for Daniel Altmaier and Hamad Medjedovic with both outside of the top 60 in the World Rankings at the start of the French Open.

Pushing inside those positions lead to entry into bigger events and the feeling is that the 21 year old Hamad Medjedovic is going to be the player who came come through this match.

It is the younger player who has gotten a bit more out of serve on the clay compared with Daniel Altmaier and that could be key, especially with both having similar kind of levels on the return. There is plenty of experience that Altmaier can call upon, which is a huge help, but his clay numbers have taken a serious dent when only considering matches against top 100 Ranked opponents.

Unsurprisingly the same can be said for Hamad Medjedovic, but his numbers remain pretty significantly stronger than the opponent and he looks the right player to back in this tough Third Round of action on Friday in the French capital.

These players met on the hard courts earlier this season, also in France, and it was Hamad Medjedovic who came through in three competitive sets. However, it was a match in which he had 10 Break Points compared with 4 for Daniel Altmaier and the expectation is that the Serb will have the superior number in this one, which should eventually tell on the scoreboard, even if the tournament in general has flown in the face of the numbers produced by players.

MY PICKS: Sebastian Korda

Hamad Medjedovic - 3.5 Games

French Open Update: 5-14, - 9.56 Units (19 Units Staked, - 50.32% Yield)

French Open Tennis Day 5 Picks 2024 (Thursday 30th May)

It has been an incredibly wet day in Paris and more bad weather is to come on Day 5 at the tournament, which really could play havoc on the schedule.

The organisers will be hoping for wider pockets of clear weather to try and get as many of the Second Round matches through, especially with the Third Round scheduled to begin on Friday.

Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 games v Miomir Kecmanovic: He has not always had much love for the clay or the grass courts, but Daniil Medvedev has shown he has the grit and determination to produce big results at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Last year was a disappointment considering he had won the big title in Rome, but Medvedev is back in Paris and will be hoping to fly under the radar early on with the focus on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

It took four sets to get past Dominik Koepfer in the First Round, but it is a solid win for Daniil Medvedev who had a relatively unspectacular build up to the second Grand Slam of the season.

Next up is Miomir Kecmanovic, who is very capable of upsetting the very best players on the Tour when he is able to put his tennis together. Finding that consistency has been tougher and perhaps the main reason this player from Serbia has not been able to crack the top 20 of the World Rankings like others from his nation in recent years.

The clay court season was pretty disappointing as far as Kecmanovic is concerned, but a solid First Round win over Thiago Monteiro will have him feeling better about his tennis. Miomir Kecmanovic was beaten by the same opponent in Rome, but he does hold a win over Casper Ruud on the red dirt in the lead up to the French Open and that will give him confidence, and Daniil Medvedev something to think about.

However, it has not been a good match up for Kecmanovic who has lost all three previous matches against Daniil Medvedev and without causing too many problems either. This is the first meeting in sixteen months, but Medvedev will fondly remember beating this opponent in three very comfortable sets at Roland Garros two years ago.

We should have a more competitive match than that under a likely roof with poor weather forecasted, but Daniil Medvedev can still come out on top and cover the spread set for the Second Round match.

Casper Ruud - 6.5 games v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: There was nothing to really worry Casper Ruud in the First Round and he made relatively easy work of his opponent just days after winning the Geneva title. He has reached the Final in back to back years at the French Open, but the last player to beat Ruud who was not called Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal will be standing on the other side of the net in this Second Round match.

He only missed out on a Seeding spot so this might be as tough a match as Casper Ruud could face when going up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The Spaniard is well versed on playing on the clay courts, but confidence has to have been dented by his 1-4 record on the surface leading into Paris. The First Round win was expected, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina perhaps made it a touch more difficult than it should have been and further underlines the feeling that he is playing without a lot of confidence.

However, it makes him dangerous that there is 'nothing to lose' and there is no doubting that Davidovich Fokina can produce some top clay court tennis.

We know Alejandro Davidovich Fokina can return very well, but his serve has really not been up to scratch and that could be exploited by Casper Ruud.

The expectation is that there will be competitive games and one, perhaps two sets could be very tight, but you have to lean towards the more confident Casper Ruud to get this done. He will remember losing to Davidovich Fokina at Roland Garros, but this is a good opportunity to earn revenge behind a strong win.

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 games v Diane Parry: These days Elina Svitolina is treated like an honourable Frenchwoman having married Gael Monfils, but the crowd might be a little more split than usual when the Ukrainian takes to the courts of Roland Garros.

A loud, vocal support helped Elina Svitolina come from behind to beat Karolina Pliskova in the First Round, but there will be plenty supporting Diane Parry in this Second Round match that may have to be played under the roof.

It will certainly help the atmosphere grow that much more, and the 21 year old Frenchwoman will be looking for revenge having lost in her home country against Elina Svitolina last week in Strasbourg. Diane Parry also had to come from a set behind to beat a compatriot in the First Round so she may be ready for the split loyalties the crowd will be faced with and instead has to focus on her tennis.

Prior to this tournament, Diane Parry had been struggling for form with a single win on the clay courts and so there is a significant gap to bridge.

She will also gain some confidence from the fact that Elina Svitolina has been struggling for consistency on the red dirt, even if the French Open Quarter Finalist from 2023 has shown how well she can take to this surface.

The strengths of the players might be going up against one another here- Diane Parry may feel her serve can set up a few more easier points, but Elina Svitolina is a very strong return player and that has shown throughout her clay court season.

It was the Elina Svitolina return which won the day when the players met in Strasbourg, but this is expected to be a tough test for the higher Ranked player. Diane Parry has to believe that it won't take much to turn things around in the match up after the defeat last week, but the overriding feeling is that Elina Svitolina will find a way to frank the form in a good looking Second Round match.

Madison Keys - 4.5 games v Mayar Sherif: The American has been more comfortable on the clay courts than you may expect and Madison Keys is certainly capable of having a deep run at the French Open in 2024.

She won the title in Strasbourg last week to build confidence, while runs in Madrid and Rome were both ended by Iga Swiatek, who has been the dominant clay court player on the women's side of the sport for some time.

After winning in the First Round without breaking a sweat, Madison Keys has to expect a bit more of a challenge from Mayar Sherif.

Last year Mayar Sherif reached a career best World Ranking of Number 31, but she is back outside of the top 50 heading into this tournament. Much like Madison Keys, Sherif made easy work of a First Round opponent, while she has reached back to back clay court Finals in the two weeks prior to the start of the French Open.

Losses in those Finals will have hurt, but they have been a part of a strong run of form for Mayar Sherif and that makes her dangerous and to be respected. At her best, the Egyptian can match the serving output that Madison Keys will expect from her own game, but whether Sherif can do that for long enough to win the match is another question altogether.

A competitive set cannot be ruled out, but Madison Keys may be able to then get on top and exert her extra qualities on the match. She has a slightly stronger returning numbers this season and that may be the big difference maker for Keys as she looks to march into the Third Round.

MY PICKS: Daniil Medvedev - 5.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

Casper Ruud - 6.5 Games @ 1.91 William Hill (2 Units)

Elina Svitolina - 4.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Madison Keys - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

French Open Update: 6-1, + 7.40 Units (14 Units Staked, + 52.86% Yield)

NBA PlayOffs 2024- Conference Finals Picks Game 1-4 (May 21-28)

Four teams remain after a dramatic Conference Semi Final Round in the NBA PlayOffs 2024 and you could argue that only one of those remaining will have been tipped to get to the Conference Finals.

A huge increase in pressure is going to be on the shoulders of the Boston Celtics after the Number 1 Seed in the Western Conference and the defending Champions were both eliminated this past weekend.

And barring injuries, it is very difficult to imagine a situation where the Boston Celtics are not able to win at least four games out of seven against any of the teams left.

Take nothing away from a young, improving Minnesota Timberwolves team, or a hot shooting Indiana Pacers.

The Dallas Mavericks have a star player and some decent support around him, but for the majority of this season, the Boston Celtics have looked to have had the perfect balance and they are the strong favourites with a little over a month left of the NBA season.

A poor run for the Conference Semi Final Picks over the last four days has meant the positive returns have not been as great as they were looking before Friday evening. There is some frustration with that in mind, but the Conference Finals are a chance to bounce back.

Out of the four Rounds last season, this was the one with my worst results so this also feels like a personal opportunity to bounce back and look for a much stronger return all around.

The good news is that we do have a winning return from both the First Round and Conference Semi Final Rounds, but more work is to be done.

NBA Conference Finals Picks 2024- Games 1-4 (May 21st-28th)

Tuesday 21st May

Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics Game 1 Pick: The long time Eastern Conference favourites have made their way into the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Boston Celtics might be a little surprised about the opponent in front of them.

That was the case twelve months ago when the Number 8 Seeded Miami Heat had made their way through to the Conference Finals, but the Boston Celtics soon found themselves 3-0 down in that Series and ultimately were not able to complete the comeback in a 4-3 Series defeat.

It has fuelled the Boston Celtics season and they are not lacking for any motivation.

Out of the four teams remaining, the Celtics are strong favourites to win the NBA Championship, although that does mean the players have to show they can handle the pressure. They will be expected to be without Kristaps Porzingis in the first two games at home, but the Celtics are well rested after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games and they will have been focused on preparing for whichever team made it through from the other Series.

In saying that, most would have expected that to be the New York Knicks, but the injury bug really hurt the Number 2 Seeded team and it is the Indiana Pacers who have surprised all by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. The Number 6 Seeded Pacers have already beaten the Milwaukee Bucks and the Game 7 win on the road over the New York Knicks will have given them a huge boost in confidence.

However, beating an injury hit opponent as they have done in the first two Rounds and now being able to knock off the top Seed in the Conference is a very different test. The Pacers will feel they have the depth and the shooting to stick with the Boston Celtics, but there is going to be a natural comedown after the levels reached in the Game 7 win on the road, especially with just a day of rest between games.

Rick Carlisle will need to make some big adjustments ahead of this Conference Finals, the first time he is Head Coaching in this Round since leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Championship in 2011. A lot of First Round exits or failing to reach the PlayOffs have been on his record since then, but Carlisle may feel his team have some destiny surrounding them having benefited from some of the uncontrollable factors like injury.

His team have given the Boston Celtics something to think about in the regular season, but Game 1 is at the TD Garden and a rested host might be able to control the Pacers.

We have become used to seeing Boston being asked to cover big spreads, but teams in the last couple of years in the Conference Finals have really struggled to deal with being asked to lay anything above 5 points. That was the case last year when those favourites were 0-7 against the spread in this Round, while home teams are 5-3 against the spread in Game 1 having seen both hosts fail to cover this time last year.

This should be a closer Series for the Boston Celtics than the last two have been, but they look rested and ready to open with a strong win.

Wednesday 22nd May

Dallas Mavericks @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 1 Pick: This has to be considered a surprising Western Conference Finals, despite the obvious improvements that both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks have made in the off-season and through the regular season.

Coming through a Game 7 against the defending Champions, the team that Minnesota have been built to beat, will have been a huge boost for the Timberwolves. They will have to overcome some history in the Western Conference Finals as teams that have played a Game 7 in a previous Series have struggled when facing an opponent that has not been pushed the distance.

They will hold home court in the Western Conference Finals, and being at home in Game 1 has to be an important factor for the Timberwolves. The Series starting on Wednesday will have given Minnesota a bit more time to get themselves mentally prepared for the Western Conference Finals and this is something that should help.

Minnesota are facing the surprising Dallas Mavericks who have beaten a couple of top four Seeds already on their way to the Western Conference Finals twelve months after failing to even finish in the top ten.

The victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder will have really helped the confidence of the Mavericks, especially considering the manner in which they won a couple of games in that Semi Final Series. Luka Doncic will be a key for Dallas and he should be grateful for the little bit of rest that he has been afforded between Series, but the Mavericks may need a bit more out of the likes of Kyrie Irving if they are going to reach the NBA Finals.

These teams met four times in the regular season and it was the Timberwolves who won three of those, all by a comfortable margin too. The pressure of the Western Conference Finals is going to be felt by all involved in this one and that may make games that much more competitive, but Minnesota might be able to ride the momentum of their Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday and through into this Game 1.

They do look to match up well with the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Edwards is growing as a force right in front of our eyes. Home teams had been starting well in the Conference Finals before 2023 and the Timberwolves can win and cover to open this one.

Thursday 23rd May

Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics Game 2 Pick: It was a special Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024, but this time the Boston Celtics managed to find a way to overcome the resistance of the underdog. Twelve months ago they were not able to do that against the Miami Heat, at least not early in the Series, but Boston have shown how much they have grown by forcing Overtime and then beating the Indiana Pacers to take a 1-0 lead.

Without a doubt the key moment was very late in the Fourth Quarter as Tyrese Haliburton turned the ball over with the Pacers up by three points and with 10 seconds left on the clock.

Even then, the failure to foul and instead allow Jaylen Brown to hit a game tying three pointer has been criticised, including by LeBron James. Head Coach Rick Carlisle has made it clear that the Pacers were going to foul, but Brown had found a spot on the court where the three pointer was on and risking a foul at that moment would have been a mistake.

No matter what, the Pacers will know they let Game 1 get away from them despite a stellar night shooting the ball again and with the Boston Celtics not producing the free-flowing Offensive output we have come to expect from them.

Bouncing back immediately is going to be a challenge for the Pacers- teams that have been involved in a close defeat in the Conference Finals have found it tough to be competitive again in the next game, while Game 1 winners at home have tended to back that up in Game 2.

In saying that, the Pacers are being given plenty of points in Game 2 and they will certainly feel they may match up with the Celtics without Kristaps Porzingis better than expected.

The 'under' has been a real feature of the Conference Finals in recent seasons, especially when the total has been as big as the one set for this game. However, a slightly improved three point shooting day from Boston will give Game 2 every chance of following Game 1 and heading over this mark set (Game 1 would have been an 'over' even if the game had been concluded in regulation time).

Both teams may continue to push the tempo and that could lead to plenty of points agian, even if Boston remain out of foul trouble. The spread looks tough to call, but backing Game 2 to surpass the total line set looks the route to go.

Friday 24th May

Dallas Mavericks @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 2 Pick: Despite the struggles of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves saw their role players step to the fore and help the team into a four point lead with four minutes left of Game 1.

Things soured from there with the team failing to add another point over the next three minutes and it was Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving that showed their star qualities throughout Game 1 to help the Dallas Mavericks take the lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Kyrie Irving had a big first half and it was Doncic who closed the show for the Mavericks as they edged to the victory. Now they go into Game 2 looking to really take a stranglehold of the Conference Finals, although the Timberwolves will be itching to get back onto the court and make amends for blowing the opener.

It feels that much worse when a big game from those outside of the star names is wasted, as it was in Game 1, but the Timberwolves have shown their character in the PlayOffs already. Many, including myself, thought they were done when losing three games in a row to the Denver Nuggets in the Semi Final Series, but this Minnesota team is growing in leaps and bounds.

Minnesota will have to make a couple of adjustments to just get a bit more efficiency out of their top two scoring options, while the Dallas Mavericks will be hoping for more of the same from the Irving-Doncic tandem. Those two players combined for 63 points in Game 1 and yet the Mavericks will feel that more is to come from the two considering their lack of consistency from the three point line.

In recent years the zigzag theory has worked best in the Conference Finals and teams playing after a defeat have a 25-12-1 record against the spread in their next game over the last thirty-eight games in that spot.

Big home favourites of 5 or more points have continued to struggle when it comes to covering the spread in recent Conference Finals games, but the Timberwolves may feel it won't take a lot to swing this one back in their direction.

The Mavericks will expect more out of their own role players, but this Timberwolves team is still very good Defensively and the home team can level up this Series before it shifts to Dallas for two games.

Saturday 25th May

Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers Game 3 Pick: Falling into a 2-0 hole in a PlayOff Series has not prevented the Indiana Pacers from making their way into the Eastern Conference Finals. However, it feels a much bigger task fighting back against the Boston Celtics compared with the shorthanded New York Knicks, and even more so if the Indiana Pacers are going to have one of their better players absent or limited in Game 3.

After giving their all and effectively throwing Game 1 away, the Indiana Pacers never recovered from a poor start to the Second Quarter of Game 2 and they were not really as competitive as they would have hoped. They have to hold onto the fact that the Boston Celtics have only 'held serve' by winning both games at the TD Garden, but there were one or two concerns coming out of Game 2 that will be worrying the Indiana fans.

First off is the fact that Rick Carlisle seemed to pull his key starters much earlier than would have been expected- after the game, the Head Coach admitted his team had been feeling the run of three road games in five days and so he felt it best not to risk those players in the Fourth Quarter with the team unlikely to narrow the deficit.

Those players should be ready to compete being back at home where Indiana have played so well in the PlayOffs and especially so if the rest has done them good.

However, the second concern has to be the sore hamstring that forced Tyrese Haliburton to sit out much of the second half. This was supposedly similar to the issues Haliburton had dealt with in the regular season and clearly impacted him and so the Indiana Pacers have to be really worried about competing with the top Seed if their best player is not quite able to play at full strength.

All of this points towards the Boston Celtics finding a way to try and close this Eastern Conference Finals as soon as possible and then begin preparing for the NBA Finals which begin in June. They would be keen to have Kristaps Porzingis return to the lineup before any extended break, but otherwise things are going smoothly for the Celtics who did what they needed to in a comfortable Game 2 win.

Slightly more efficient shooting in Game 2 compared with Game 1 helped the Boston Celtics pull away for a big win. They have yet to lock down Defensively, but Boston have to be comfortable with this match up and they could move to the brink of the NBA Finals on Saturday when travelling to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics have won all four road games played in the post-season and all have been by at least 7 points with the top Seed exerting their power over opponents.

The switch in venue has tended to favour the hosts in recent Game 3s of the Conference Finals, while teams who lead 2-0 have only produced a 5-8 record against the spread in the last thirteen games in that spot. Those teams had been 3-8 against the spread before both the Nuggets and Heat covered in Game 3s while up 2-0 last year and Boston are certainly capable of keeping that going.

Indiana are coming off a 16 point loss in Game 2, but those teams losing by double digits are 8-2 against the spread in Game 3 so there is hope. However, you have to wonder if the Pacers have enough in the tank to beat a team with the qualities of the Boston Celtics, even in their return home, and laying the points looks the right play.

Sunday 26th May

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks Game 3 Pick: There is going to be some real disappointment in the Minnesota Timberwolves camp having blown a lead in both of the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. Instead of being potentially 2-0 ahead, late buckets have swung the game against them and they will be heading to Dallas 0-2 behind.

Turning this around is not going to be easy, but it is not impossible and Minnesota will know that having seen the Denver Nuggets fight back from the same position in the Conference Semi Finals.

However, there are one or two signs that will really concern fans of the Timberwolves and you do have to wonder if this young team have left much of themselves on the court when rallying to beat the defending Champions in the last Round. The Timberwolves had to win the last two games of that Series, including a Game 7 on the road, and evidence of fatigue has been seen as they have worn down in the Fourth Quarter of both of the games in the Western Conference Finals.

Anthony Edwards is trying, but is clearly not playing at his highest level, while Karl-Anthony Towns is struggling to such an extent that he was benched for key moments in the Game 2 defeat. Making adjustments now will be the key, but finding the energy that has clearly been missing down the stretch is much more difficult this deep into the post-season.

Things will feel much more comfortable for the Dallas Mavericks who have shown they can win on the road throughout their semi-surprising PlayOff run. The depth might not be as great as some of the other teams, but Luka Doncic has really stepped up to the plate and it was his big three pointer in the final seconds of Game 2 that turned the game in the Dallas favour for the last time.

The Mavericks will have to expect some kind of reaction, but they will also feel they have shown they have more energy all around when it comes down to the crunch and just staying with the Timberwolves early is enough. Simply put, Dallas have been much more efficient when it comes to the Fourth Quarter and so many NBA games have been decided in those moments, which has also been the case for Game 1 and 2 in the Western Conference Finals.

The shift in venue means a shift in favouritism, but the best play may be backing this to be the third game in a row that finishes above the total points line set.

Dallas look to have the momentum, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are shooting the ball well enough to believe they can contribute to this total being surpassed. The fatigue has affected the Defensive qualities and this should aid the Mavericks and another game where both teams reach the low 100s looks to be in play.

Monday 27th May

Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers Game 4 Pick: There is no doubting that the Series has been competitive, but the Boston Celtics have managed to find the big buckets when needed and are now one win away from returning to the NBA Finals.

Last year they were in the opposite position of being 3-0 down and managed to fight back against the Miami Heat, so nothing will be taken for granted. However, it is going to take a significant effort for the Indiana Pacers to turn this one around and especially knowing they will have to win at least twice on the road.

At this point merely getting this Series back to Boston might be seen as a big achievement for the Pacers who blew a big lead in Game 3.

An absent Tyrese Haliburton meant there was more pressure on the other players on the roster, but the Indiana Pacers continued to show the depth on the roster. They look like a team that could take some serious leaps in successes in the coming years by learning from the experiences faced in this post-season, but it does look to be coming to an end.

The fight shown will have given the fans much to be encouraged by, although the fact is that the Pacers have dropped Game 3 and that would have been a heavy blow to absorb for the players.

Being back at home will give Indiana a chance, but teams that are 0-3 down in the Conference Finals are 3-4-1 against the spread in the last eight in that spot. Those teams had been 2-4 straight up before last season when Boston managed to win Game 4 against the Miami Heat and took the Series back home.

The Celtics are going to be very comfortable about where they are at in this Conference Finals and they have shown that different players can lead the way for them on any given night. Even without Kristaps Porzingis, Boston have looked the best team in the East, and perhaps the NBA as a whole, and they may just be able to start better in this one.

If they can, Boston should be able to win this game and just about get over this spread set for the game.

Tuesday 28th May

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks Game 4 Pick: The trend in this Western Conference Finals is that the Minnesota Timberwolves have gotten into a position to win games, but ultimately been let down by a poor Fourth Quarter.

It happened again in Game 3 and the Timberwolves are now on the brink of exiting the PlayOffs and allowing the Dallas Mavericks to move forward to compete in the NBA Finals.

That would be a remarkable turnaround for a team that missed out on the PlayOffs completely twelve months ago, but Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have led this team very effectively. The role players have done enough to back up the two superstars and there is little doubt Irving and Doncic have outplayed Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns at key moments.

The Mavericks lost the turnover and rebounding battle, but they had a very efficient day shooting the ball and ultimately the Timberwolves were not able to keep up in the Fourth Quarter. With KAT not performing near the level expected, Anthony Edwards has tried to put the team on his shoulders, while the Minnesota role players have been effective, but missing a real support for Edwards that would be needed to turn this Series back around.

It looks unlikely and the NBA have to be concerned about the gap between now and the NBA Finals starting on June 6th- both Conference Finals could be swept, and that will mean a significant gap before the Finals begin.

This is not to the concern of Boston or the Dallas Mavericks as they look to get things done without overextending themselves.

Home teams that have not faced elimination in Game 4 of the Conference Finals have been on a very strong run in this Round and every bit of momentum is with the Mavericks having shown their character to make the late buckets and win games. Much like mentioned in the preview for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, teams down 0-3 have struggled to be as competitive as they would like and the Minnesota Timberwolves might just feel they have given all they have and still come up short.

All Dallas can do is focus on making sure they do not give the Timberwolves any hope to replicate the Boston Celtics and fight back from 3-0 down to force a Game 7 as happened last year. Winning this one at home and then sitting down to prepare for the next challenge will be the only message Head Coach Jason Kidd will be handing down to his team and the Mavericks can win and cover for a fourth time in a row.

Thursday 30th May

Dallas Mavericks @ Minnesota Timberwolves Game 5 Pick: It really has been a much more competitive Series than any potential sweep opportunity suggested, but the Dallas Mavericks will feel they let Game 4 get away from them.

Much like the first three games, the Mavericks weathered the early Minnesota Timberwolves storm before rallying for a late win. This time they made the mistakes in the closing minutes of the Fourth Quarter and that has allowed the Timberwolves to take Game 4 on the road.

Keeping the Western Conference Finals alive can only be positive news for the NBA, who would have been fearing a second sweep after the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. With better Fourth Quarter execution, the Timberwolves might have been returning home with an opportunity to move into the NBA Finals of their own, but they have dug a deep hole and the pressure is never that far.

However, you would not have guessed that from Anthony Edwards who has made his feelings known about making sure this Series goes back to Dallas for a Game 6.

Anthony Edwards has largely played a decent enough Series, but it was the revival of Karl-Anthony Towns that helped the Timberwolves hold off the Mavericks as the rally pushed forward. His big time three pointers late on helped Minnesota and they will need more from KAT, while also expecting the role players to play a strong outing at home.

Kyrie Irving did not have his best game, but Dallas will be expecting him to bounce back having been on the losing end of a potential close out game for the first time. An inefficient shooting day meant Irving was willing to take the blame for the Game 4 defeat on his own shoulders, although Luka Doncic was quick to do the same as Dallas look for an immediate response.

Last year we did see Boston fight back and return home for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals having erased a 0-3 deficit- that will give Minnesota something to aim for over the next few days, although going one better and becoming the first NBA team to win a best of seven Series when trailing 0-3 is the ultimate challenge.

Game 4 saw some of the scoring dry up, but that might change again when this Western Conference Finals shifts venue again. The total is set back down a couple of points compared with the last game and both teams have shown they can produce enough big moments to look for this one to surpass the total line set.

MY PICKS: 21/05 Boston Celtics - 9.5 Points @ 1.85 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

22/05 Minnesota Timberwolves - 4.5 Points @ 2.00 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

23/05 Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers Over 224.5 Points @ 1.91 Coral (1 Unit)

24/05 Minnesota Timberwolves - 5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

25/05 Boston Celtics - 7 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

26/05 Dallas Mavericks-Minnesota Timberwolves Over 208.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

27/05 Boston Celtics - 8 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

28/05 Dallas Mavericks - 3 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

30/05 Minnesota Timberwolves-Dallas Mavericks Over 209.5 Points @ 1.91 Coral (1 Unit)

Conference Finals Update: 3-6, - 3.27 Units (9 Units Staked, - 36.33% Yield)

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

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

French Open Tennis Day 3 Picks 2023 (May 30th)

A long weekend means I can only add my selections for the matches to come on Day 3 at the French Open.

I should have longer thoughts on some of the Picks from Day 4 going forward and I will also update the First Round totals in that thread.

MY PICKS: Francisco Cerundolo - 5.5 Games @ 1.72 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Richard Gasquet - 2.5 Games @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Sebastian Baez - 5.5 Games @ 1.75 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Sorana Cirstea - 3.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

French Open Tennis Day 9 Picks 2022 (May 30th)

The Fourth Round Picks on Day 8 saw a slight turnaround after a miserable couple of days, but things did not come easy.

Martina Trevisan struggled to put away Aliaksandra Sasnovich despite looking the stronger player, while another player with a poor return on the break points was Rafael Nadal. At least the former won and late victories for Carlos Alcaraz and Sloane Stephens have at least helped a positive return on the day.

There is so much work to do to make sure of a winning event after the Third Round misery, but hopefully I can get the numbers to continue to move in a positive direction when Day 9 is completed.

Jannik Sinner v Andrey Rublev: Two of the current top 12 in the World Rankings are going to meet in the Fourth Round at the French Open and these are two of the players looking to step up and begin challenging some of the top names on the Tour. Both Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev have plenty of potential to do that, although it is the former that is perhaps better placed to build and go on and win a Grand Slam.

In something of a surprise, Andrey Rublev will be going into the match as the favourite. There have been fitness concerns for Jannik Sinner in the build to the French Open, but we have not seen any real sign of that in the tournament and I think the odds may reflect a touch of uncertainty about him.

The Italian has looked pretty strong throughout the French Open though and his numbers have been pretty good, although you can't ignore the fact that Jannik Sinner has benefited from a kind draw with this being the first opponent Ranked inside the top 50. A look at how he has performed on the clay courts in the tournaments played over the last two months suggests there has been very little margin for error for Sinner with 62% of service points won and only 40% of return points, but I do think he has been returning with a little more confidence in this tournament.

He has certainly looked more confident on the return than Andrey Rublev who has won fewer than 40% of return points played in the wins over Federico Delbonis and Cristian Garin. All three of his matches in Paris have been won in four sets, but Andrey Rublev has laid the foundation for his success on the serve with just four breaks going against him in the tournament so far.

However, Andrey Rublev has seen his service numbers dip when he has faced top 20 Ranked opponents on the clay this season and I do think that will show up in this Fourth Round match.

One of those matches was against Jannik Sinner in Monte Carlo and it was a match the Italian dominated after dropping the opening set. In fact Sinner is now 2-0 against Andrey Rublev on the clay courts and he has held 79% of service games in those matches compared with the 58% mark for the Russian.

I also have to note that the performance level has just come down in each of the last three Rounds in Paris for Andrey Rublev and he is going to need to serve very well to win this match. There are times I have watched Jannik Sinner and felt he is a little predictable and one-paced with his tennis, but that may be good enough against an aggressive player like Andrey Rublev and holding the mental edge makes the Italian an appealing selection as the underdog.

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 games v Marin Cilic: Only one match was played in the build to the French Open, but Daniil Medvedev has looked much stronger in the tournament having lost that match to Richard Gasquet after recovering from a small procedure on the hernia. The World Number 2 is in the easier half of the draw, but he has shown he is ready to compete at the French Open again after reaching the Quarter Final last season.

Some may feel the early Rounds should be negotiable for a player of Daniil Medvedev's quality, but he has been impressive in beating quality operators in Laslo Djere and Miomir Kecmanovic in the last couple of Rounds. The fact that Medvedev has not dropped a set in those wins has to impress and he has been returning really well on the clay courts, much as he did at the French Open in his Quarter Final run in 2021.

This is another very tough match for Daniil Medvedev against an opponent who had a strong build on the clay courts and who has pushed the likes of Alexander Zverev and Cristian Garin in close losses, while Marin Cilic holds a win over Cameron Norrie.

The Croatian may not be the player he was, but Cilic had held 80% of service games played and backed that up with breaks in 26% of return games played on the red dirt before arriving in Paris. He has been very impressive in the tournament too, although Marin Cilic has yet to play anyone Ranked higher than 57 and that win over Marton Fucsovics was easily the toughest he has had at the French Open.

Marin Cilic has won the other two matches against opponents who were massively overmatched, but he will be the first to admit how much stronger he is going to have to be to challenge someone like Daniil Medvedev.

Daniil Medvedev will also hold the advantage mentally with all three previous matches between the two ending in wins for the Russian player. In those matches, Medvedev has held 89% of his service games compared with Marin Cilic holding 75% and I do think the World Number 2 is the superior return player at this stage of their careers.

On the clay I expect there to be more chances to break for both, but Daniil Medvedev looks to be close to his best already and I think he will be able to move through in three or four sets, which should give him every chance to earn the breaks to cover this mark.

Casper Ruud-Hubert Hurkacz over 38.5 games: You have to credit Casper Ruud for battling back from a difficult position in the Third Round, but he has made harder work of the first week at the French Open than he would have wanted. Now it is all about recovery after a long match and hoping he is ready to compete in the Fourth Round, where Casper Ruud will be the favourite despite some difficulties in moving through the draw.

I can understand why Casper Ruud is still the favourite having shown the much more consistent form on the clay courts in recent years than Hubert Hurkacz, but the latter has to be respected.

Hubert Hurkacz had only won a single match at the French Open and had suffered three First Round defeats in succession, but he has yet to drop a set in moving through to the Fourth Round in 2022. The win over David Goffin was very impressive in the last Round, although it did feel like the Belgian was not at 100%, while Hurkacz has made short work of the other two opponents faced.

Much will depend on how well he can serve and he has won at least 75% of service points in each of the three Rounds played in Paris. Unsurprisingly those are numbers that have seen Hubert Hurkacz moved through the draw without dropping a set and only David Goffin has even managed to earn some Break Points.

I do think this is going to be a much tougher test for Hubert Hurkacz, but he will be encouraged by the fact that Casper Ruud has not really been able to return as well as he would have liked on the red dirt this season. The Norwegian has only broken in 22% of return games played on the clay courts in 2022, which is down from the 32% mark produced in 2021, while Casper Ruud struggled to deal with the Lorenzo Sonego serve in the Third Round with 36% of return points won on that day.

Casper Ruud has managed to break at least four times in each of his wins in Paris over the last week, but this is the biggest server he will have faced. Some of the games that have been allowed to slip by has put pressure on the Casper Ruud serve too and it has led to the World Number 8 perhaps losing a bit of focus at costly times, as it was in the Third Round.

He will also be playing an opponent who is not exactly a stellar return player, even on the clay courts and I think that will give Casper Ruud an edge, although it could be a match that is dominated by the serve.

You cannot ignore the fact that Hubert Hurkacz has only won one of the seven previous matches against top 20 Ranked players on the clay courts and his serve has not been as effective in those matches either. However, the serve has been good enough to pressure his way into winning a number of sets in that time and I do think this match is going to last at least four sets, which gives the players every chance of combining to move past this total games line.

A couple of tie-breakers would not be a surprise either and I am looking for this to be a competitive Fourth Round match.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Casper Ruud-Hubert Hurkacz Over 38.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet365 (2 Units)

Stefanos Tsitsipas Win 3-1 @ 3.75 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Madison Keys @ 1.91 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daria Kasatkina - 3.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Irina Camelia-Begu + 3.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet365 (2 Units)

Iga Swiatek - 6.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet365 (2 Units)

French Open Update: 44-45, - 9.94 Units (178 Units Staked, - 5.58% Yield)