Boxing Picks 2025- Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II (Saturday 15th November)

In most cases, rematches are not really needed for the biggest fights and you can make a serious case to suggest having one for this one is unnecessary too.

There is clearly not the same interest in seeing Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet for a second time in 2025 after the former produced a decisive victory when they met at the end of April.

However, this is the money fight for the two and Turki Alalshikh had placed a two fight deal into the original contract which means the two fighters will head back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for 'Unfinished Business'.

The tagline does not inspire very much considering business was clearly concluded when Chris Eubank Jr deservedly had his arm lifted in an Unanimous Decision.

Everything about this build up has been toned down compared with the original contest, but pride is still on the line and the fight made the most sense for Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn before perhaps chasing other avenues in 2026.

Riyadh Season is promoting the event, which means a decent enough undercard has been put together for the event in North London, but most fans may already be thinking ahead to next week when a huge show is broadcasted from Saudi Arabia.

November 22nd is a monster card from top to bottom and the 'Night of Champions' cannot fail to live up to the expectations around the event.

There are a couple of decent cards to get through this weekend, while we have had some solid fights announced for January already.

2025 has not really lived up to the promises, but 2026 looks like it could be a big year for Boxing fans and January is laying out a decent start to the season.

Everyone is still waiting to see if the rumoured Shakur Stevenson vs Teofimo Lopez fight is made official, while there are big hopes that Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron Ennis step into the ring in the first quarter of the year too.

However, recent trends in Boxing has seen in-ring face offs fail to materialise in an actual bout and rumours suggest both Ennis and Ortiz Jr could move in different directions before actually meeting later in the year.

In saying that, I do hope Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr are not those chosen to take on the young lions.

You cannot speak about Boxing this week and ignore the reports that Anthony Joshua has agreed a deal to fight Jake Paul in December.

There is a real expectation that this will actually happen and in a professional bout.

Credit has to be given to Jake Paul for wanting to take the fight, but it makes so little sense and Anthony Joshua will blitz him very quickly if he so wishes.

AJ and Eddie Hearn have targeted a big, big fight in 2026 in what could be the final year of his career, but you cannot blame him for taking the multi-millions on offer to beat an opponent he likely could with one hand tied behind his back. It may not be a great look for Boxing, and Paul could potentially get seriously hurt, but nothing surprises me in the sport and money talks.

Plenty of fans will choose not to tune in, but the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul exhibition showed plenty of others will and that is ultimately the reason it will happen, even if it is a complete and utter mismatch that would likely not be sanctioned in many places.

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II

Back in April it felt like there was storyline after storyline around the original fight, but all of that is lacking when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet for a second time in 2025.

The 'will he or won't he?' around father Chris Eubank Sr and whether he would be at fight night ended with the iconic entrance on the night, but this time Sr was sitting alongside his son at the final press conference.

We also had the drama of Chris Eubank Jr missing weight by an ounce or two on tge Friday before fight night, but this time he has actually come in below Conor Benn's weight.

And even the outcome of the first fight means there isn't much controversy to hang onto this time.

However, you cannot ignore the potential for 'bragging rights' between the Eubank and Benn names and there was plenty of excitement the first time around that will have fans tuning in for the rematch.

Conor Benn has put a bit more on and Chris Eubank Jr has come in slightly below his last couple of fights, although tellingly at the same weight he was when beating Liam Smith in the rematch of that clash. That was also under the guidance of BoMac, who is back in the Eubank Jr corner, and it will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments the winner will make.

He will certainly feel he was dragged into a fight that Conor Benn wanted- Eubank Jr looked the classier of the two when he got behind the jab, and he showed those qualities in the final three Rounds to close out the win.

You have to believe that will be the game plan in this one- BoMac will not chase the Knock Out, but he will want Chris Eubank Jr to do the fundamentals right and if the Stoppage is available to then turn it up a notch.

Rather than making this Round Thirteen, Chris Eubank Jr may choose to rely on his skills a bit more and make things a bit more comfortable all around.

Adjustments will also be made by Conor Benn- he is most certainly trying to be a much calmer figure all around this week compared with last time and Benn has blamed his emotions for getting away from himself. He perhaps gassed himself out in the first fight having invested a lot early, but Conor Benn has to take some encouragement from the fact that he did seemingly hurt his opponent a couple of times and now having put twelve more Rounds into the Eubank Jr body.

Looking back at the first fight, there are a couple of moments where Conor Benn has considerable success and looks to be ready to take Chris Eubank Jr out. His team do feel that Benn rushed his work when those moments came up and this may mean a slower than usual start from The Destroyer in a bid to keep the reserves that may be needed later on.

At the same time, Chris Eubank Jr will take a huge amount of encouragement out of the way the Twelfth Round went for him and the partnership with BoMac resulted in a Stoppage win over Liam Smith as he broke down his opponent on that night.

When they met back in April, the feeling was the Chris Eubank Jr may end the fight late on and there is a feeling that the Judges may not be needed this time.

The resilience and pride of the fighter's will not allow them to quit in this one, but a this could be a slower start, which means a bit more left in the tank to find the power late on to force the referee to intervene.

After the gruelling fight just a few months ago, some of the resilience will have been lessened and both were in a bit of bother in the second half of the first fight.

Both fighters will have a new respect for one another having gone through Twelve Rounds against one another, but this may be a rematch that ends much more decisively, especially if we end up seeing both plant their feet and trade again.

The undercard is quite mixed in terms of fighters looking to move onto World level and others just hoping to kick careers further forward.

Richard Riakporhe is now operating in the Heavyweight Division and faces Tommy Welch, son of Scott who won British and Commonwealth Titles in the Division in the mid-90s and who fought for the WBO World Title.

This is a big step in level for Tommy Welch who has been fighting at Cruiserweight or Bridgerweight classes, while there is nothing on his record that will suggest he is ready to take on The Midnight Train.

At 35 years old, Richard Riakporhe does not have time on his side as he prepares for his second bout at Heavyweight, but the Stoppage win over Kevin Espindola will have gotten some attention seeing as the latter went all Six Rounds with heavy-handed Moses Itauma.

In the fight with Riakporhe, Espindola was withdrawn at the end of the Fourth Round and this could be another relatively early win for the former Cruiserweight World Title challenger before he looks for bigger fights in 2026.

The British and Commonwealth Light Middleweight Titles are on the line when Sam Gilley takes on Ishmael Davis and the latter has been very active over the last twelve months.

This may give him the edge, as will the experience he has picked up in fights against opponents of a higher level than Sam Gilley.

The vacant British Title and the fight being at the home of Tottenham Hotspur is going to offer plenty of inspiration for Sam Gilley and he is a fighter that will not shy away from having a scrap.

This should make this a fun addition to the undercard, but Davis is looking to take advantage of the opportunities that have come up and he may just do enough to wear down this opponent having allowed his fight against Caoimhin Agyarko to slip away.

His team are likely going to want Ishmael Davis to stay strong and to win Rounds well and that may also see him through for a late Stoppage.

The two chief support bouts on the undercard both look appealing.

Adam Azim's original opponent has withdrawn, but Kurt Scoby has arrived to make his presence known and he is unlikely to take a backwards step.

It should be fun for as long as it lasts, but this is a good chance for Adam Azim to show why he is so highly rated and his quicker hands and stronger footwork are likely going to see him prevail and inside the distance too.

The problem for the American is that he is stepping up levels, while Adam Azim has been in with former World Title competing opponents.

He needs to be more active in 2026, but Azim is on a good path and he can get this one done before the bell for the Seventh Round.

In the other chief support, Jack Catterall and Ekow Essuman meet in a real crossroads contest.

Both have wins over Josh Taylor, but this is a more natural weight class for the The Engine.

However, his style should also suit Catterall who will have opportunities to counter and this may mean a better watch, which has been a criticism of Jack Catterall in the past.

We did see Josh Taylor having plenty of early success against Essuman without being able to sustain it- this time Jack Catterall may be able to go longer and he may just do enough to take this on the cards, even if Ekow Essuman is coming on strong at the end.

He came up levels to beat Taylor, but Jack Catterall still looks to have a bit more left in the tank and has operated at a higher level, which can show up across the likely Twelve Rounds needed.

Over in Mexico, we do have a second decent card headlined by a World Title defence.

Richard Torrez Jr may be the leading up and coming Heavyweight from the United States and he is in a showcase spot with bigger fights expected in 2026.

The chief support is a bout between Lindolfo Delgado and Gabriel Valenzuela and this is seen as a chance for the former to show he is ready to take the next level in his career.

His team will be hoping that they are catching Valenzuela on the slide, but Lindolfo Delgado looks plenty short and there is every chance the odds and the unbeaten fighter can be upset.

Main eventing is Rafael Espinoza who was expected to depart the Featherweight Division- he is a huge fighter for the weight class and remains unbeaten, but failing to get one of the other Champions into the ring may have meant his time was up.

However, Espinoza has at least one more fight with his WBO World Title on the line and he is expected to be too strong for Arnold Khegai.

The latter has never been Stopped, but was beaten by Stephen Fulton at Super-Bantamweight and this is a significant step up in level for the 33 year old.

Rafael Espinoza carries plenty of power and he should be able to breakdown this opponent and become the first to end the contest inside the distance against Khegai somewhere in the middle of the scheduled Twelve Rounds.

MY PICKS: Chris Eubank Jr-Conor Benn Either Fighter to Win Between 7-12 @ 3.00 William Hill (1 Unit)

Richard Riakporhe to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Ishmael Davis to Win Between 7-12 @ 4.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Adam Azim to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.62 Bet365 (2 Units)

Jack Catterall to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.72 Bet365 (2 Units)

Rafael Espinoza to Win Between 5-8 @ 3.10 William Hill (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 23-68, - 40.02 Units (115 Units Staked, - 34.80% Yield)

ATP Finals Day 7 Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 15th November)

There have been a couple of really disappointing performances from players who will be expecting to challenge for Grand Slam titles in 2026 and that has led to a couple of surprising names being able to make it through to the last four at the ATP Finals.

Most fans will still be expecting to see the top two players in the world compete for yet another title, but Alex De Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime are going to have something to say about that.

Jannik Sinner - 5.5 games v Alex De Minaur: This Semi Final was set before the final Group matches were played on Friday, but it is Alex De Minaur who will have been able to earn a day of rest between matches.

After losing his opening two matches in the tournament, Alex De Minaur's hopes of progressing into the Semi Final was hanging by a thread going into Day 5 in Turin. He had no choice but to win in straight sets in his final match, but De Minaur still had to wait and hope Carlos Alcaraz would beat Lorenzo Musetti before knowing he would be tasked with heading out and playing again.

Alex De Minaur has to take encouragement out of the fact that his performances have improved in each of the three matches played- after losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz, De Minaur had a chance to serve out the match against Lorenzo Musetti before losing in three sets and then ultimately beat Taylor Fritz in straight sets to move through the Group.

Serving well is going to be really important against the World Number 2 and that has been something that has been challenging for Alex De Minaur when facing Jannik Sinner in the past.

It has also been the reason Alex De Minaur has lost all twelve matches played against the Italian.

All but one of those defeats have been on the hard courts, including in all three matches in 2025 and Jannik Sinner has won seven of the eight sets played between the players. Two of those wins earned by Jannik Sinner have been since the US Open and there is a massive advantage in favour of the higher Ranked player that is almost impossible to ignore.

Jannik Sinner has won 69% of the points played behind his serve compared with Alex De Minaur's 56% mark... This has led to Sinner holding in 91% of service games played compared with De Minaur doing the same in 63% of his own service games and these are big edges in favour of Jannik Sinner.

He was given a bit of an examination by Ben Shelton in the final Group match, but Jannik Sinner was largely in control and did not have to spend any additional time on the court.

This should all mean that the Italian is ready to reach another Final here in Turin and the World Number 2 may be able to do that in some style.

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 games v Felix Auger-Aliassime: After losing to Jannik Sinner and looking like he was suffering with some sort of calf injury, Felix Auger-Aliassime has performed really well to win back to back Group matches.

The battling display against Ben Shelton deserves a lot more respect than the win over Alexander Zverev merely because the American pushed Felix Auger-Aliassime really hard. This may have cracked lesser players, but the Canadian has continued producing at key times in the second half of the season and Auger-Aliassime is going to head into 2026 with a lot of confidence.

Everything in this Semi Final is about the Felix Auger-Aliassime serve as he bids to upset the World Number 1.

It has been a big weapon in the wins over Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev, but Felix Auger-Aliassime struggled to impose himself on Jannik Sinner in the opening Group match. He may have learned from that, but Auger-Aliassime has not faced Carlos Alcaraz in sixteen months and the Spaniard is playing at a really solid level himself to secure that position heading into the 2026 season.

Three matches played and three wins on the board has given Carlos Alcaraz momentum as he looks to go forward and win the ATP Finals for the first time to continue to add to his increasing trophy collection.

Despite already being through to the Semi Final, Carlos Alcaraz produced his best performance in the tournament in the win over Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday. That will further the momentum he has built up in the tournament and Alcaraz has to be pretty confident that much of this match will be played on his racquet, even when facing a very good server like Felix Auger-Aliassime.

There are just more ways for Carlos Alcaraz to win the match.

Covering the spread will not be easy and the World Number 1 may need to break serve at least three times to do that, but he has reached that total in all three of the matches played this week. The performance in the win over Taylor Fritz will give Carlos Alcaraz the confidence to deal with the World Number 8 and he has won each of the last four matches between the players.

We have seen Felix Auger-Aliassime produce high quality tennis when he has momentum and built up confidence- he is dangerous here having done that in back to back wins to join Jannik Sinner in the last four, but Carlos Alcaraz is a big challenge for the Canadian and that may show up on the final scoreboard.

MY PICKS: Jannik Sinner - 5.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Carlos Alcaraz - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

ATP Finals: 7-4, + 1.28 Units (11 Units Staked, + 11.64% Yield)

College Football Week 12 Picks 2025 (Saturday 15th November)

Three weeks remain in the College Football season and so the jockeying for high Rankings to earn a place in the Playoffs begins to really heat up.

There are some big games left on the schedules, which will begin to separate out the top of the Rankings, while the Playoff Committee are potentially going to have some big decisions to make.

Some are even suggesting there could be a path towards not including the ACC Champion, which would be a huge blow to a Conference that had an unbeaten Champion miss out on the four team Playoff just two years ago. However, the top of that Conference has been littered with teams who have some poor losses on the resume and the likes of Georgia Tech and Miami are struggling to even make the Championship Game as the two highest Ranked teams in the Conference.

That could pave the way for two of the non-Power 4 Conference Champions to be included at the expense of the ACC, while the SEC and Big Ten are expected to make up the majority of the teams in the twelve team bracket.

However, games in Week 12 through Week 14 will separate those within the Conference and upsets could shake up the whole Ranking debate next week.

Week 11 was another poor one for the College Football Picks and a bounce back is needed with the six selections made ahead of the next round of games.

There will be no Friday selection in Week 12 with the opening selections coming from the Midday Eastern Time slot and being played throughout Saturday.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Pittsburgh Panthers Pick: The latest Rankings released by the Playoff Committee have maintained Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2) in the top ten and they have a clear path to earn another spot in the twelve team post-season party. Last year the Fighting Irish were beaten in the National Championship Game and there was a real concern that losses in the first two games of 2025 would have ended the Playoff bid before it really got started.

Seven wins in a row have clearly kept the Fighting Irish involved, but they can also be grateful that one of the losses was to the unbeaten Texas A&M Aggies who are very well respected by the Playoff Committee. That defeat was by a single point and so the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have to feel confident that winning out will earn them a spot in the post-season, which would have been the minimum ambition in South Bend when the campaign got underway.

This looks to be the most difficult game left on the schedule for Notre Dame against a Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2) team that have their own ambitions of making the Playoff.

They are currently just outside of the top two places in the ACC, but Pittsburgh share a 5-1 Conference record with four teams in the Conference, while the Duke Blue Devils are 4-1 in ACC play. Only two will be able to make the Conference Championship and only one of those is likely to move forward into the Playoff and so you could kind of understand what Head Coach Pat Narduzzi meant when stating that he would 'gladly' see his team blown out in Week 12 if it meant Pittsburgh win out and earn a spot in the Conference Championship Game.

Pat Narduzzi was trying to make the point that this game does not impact the ACC standings, but it has not gone down very well with the Pittsburgh fans.

His team have won five in a row and you have to imagine they are not so concerned with what was being said to the media and instead will have been working hard to keep the momentum going.

Games against Georgia Tech and Miami remain on deck for the Panthers, but they are coming out of a Bye Week and Pittsburgh are 14-7 against the spread when plauying with rest under Pat Narduzzi. This record is 6-1 against the spread when Pittsburgh are playing at home and so the spread looks a little wide, even if the Head Coach has suggested focus could be on the two remaining ACC games instead.

The Line of Scrimmage will be the key battle when the Fighting Irish have the ball- Notre Dame have a solid duo at Running Back who can pound the rock very effectively behind this Offensive Line, but the Pittsburgh Defensive Line is the strength of the team on this side of the ball and it is going to determine so much about how this game is played out.

If the Fighting Irish win up front, they will feel they can move the ball all day.

However, CJ Carr could be facing some pressure at Quarter Back if the Panthers are able to force the road team into third and long spots on the field. The Pittsburgh Secondary have been able to step in front of passes and make big plays, even if they are a unit that can be exposed by Quarter Backs, and turnovers could really give the home team an opportunity to keep this one competitive.

The expectation is that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will find a way to win, but the Panthers are at home and should be well prepared to keep this one close on the scoreboard.

They will be relying on the Defensive unit to make plays with the likelihood being that Pittsburgh are going to be inconsistent at best when they do have the ball in their own hands.

It feels much clearer that the Panthers are going to struggle to establish the run and that is going to be a problem for Mason Heintschel at Quarter Back, despite his personal numbers being very impressive. For starters being in third and long would put pressure on the Offensive Line to keep the pocket clean against this strong Notre Dame pass rush, while Heintschel has been guilty of throwing Interceptions when that pressure has been in his face.

The feeling is that Notre Dame may edge the turnover battle with that in mind and they can get the better of this contest, even if it means beating the spread against a rested Pittsburgh team that have been very good when given additional preparation time.

Notre Dame should have a bit more consistency with the ball and they are 8-4 against the spread as the road favourite.

Pat Narduzzi is still below 0.500 against the spread when overseeing a game as an underdog with the Pittsburgh Panthers and the team could soon begin to turn their attention to the next two weeks if they fall behind in this one. The Panthers may end up seeing a couple of turnovers give the Fighting Irish the short fields from which they can pull away for a big win and just give the Playoff Committee further reason to strengthen the Notre Dame place in the top twelve of the Rankings.

Wisconsin Badgers @ Indiana Hoosiers Pick: There is not going to be too many teams who are able to progress through the entire regular season schedule and not face a couple of sticky moments.

The Indiana Hoosiers (10-0) had to battle to get past the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 11 in the second of back to back road games, but they did find a way to earn the victory and remain unbeaten in 2025.

Despite that, the Hoosiers are the Number 2 Ranked team in College Football with the Number 1 being the defending Champions Ohio State Buckeyes and both teams are set to meet in the Big Ten Championship Game. All eyes may already be turning towards that game in early December, but the Hoosiers have been given a real reminder that they will have to focus on the two remaining teams to play before the end of this month.

Indiana are going to be big favourites to win those remaining games considering the opponents have a combined 1-12 record in the Big Ten through eleven weeks of the season.

First up is the Wisconsin Badgers (3-6) who won for the first time in the Conference last week and who can still become Bowl eligible by winning out.

This is the Hoosiers last home game of the season, at least in the regular season, and Head Coach Curt Cignetti will likely have taken note of the fact that the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes have blown out Wisconsin this season. Both of those teams are Ranked in and around the Hoosiers and so this may be seen as a chance for Indiana to just cement their current placing, especially with a Bye Week coming up to reset.

Indiana will have to respect the recent performances of the Wisconsin Defensive unit- they are able to play the run pretty well and that has helped the Secondary.

The challenge for the Hoosiers is trying to establish the run, which is always an important part of the game plan, and they will be confident in the Offensive Line. If they can battle up front and rip off some big gains, the day should be a comfortable one for the Indiana Hoosiers who can move the ball pretty efficiently, especially with Quarter Back Fernando Mendoza looking to show a bit more of a convincing performance after a tough day against the Nittany Lions.

No one will ignore the fact that this is a huge spread, but that is very much down to the Offensive issues the Badgers have had all season.

While the Hoosiers will feel they can find a way to pound the rock with some success and have a real belief in the Quarter Back, the Wisconsin Badgers have been a pretty miserable Offensive unit.

They have not been able to run the ball very well, while the Badgers are going to have to go with an inexperienced Quarter Back again this week. Both Carter Smith and Hunter Simmons had playing time from the position in the win over the Washington Huskies, but neither really had any success and now they are playing an Indiana Secondary who will be keen on turning the ball over.

Wisconsin are averaging just over 12 points per game this season- they failed to score against the Buckeyes and Iowa Hawkeyes, while the Badgers scored just 7 points against Oregon.

All of that adds up to whether Indiana can score enough points to cover- the Ducks struggled against the Badgers, but both Iowa and Ohio State had much more success and Indiana are likely going to be highly motivated to go out on a high at home.

The Hoosiers are averaging around 52 points per game at home and they may need to get to just shy of 40 points in this one to secure a cover.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Alabama Crimson Tide Pick: There is a chance that the Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1) can secure their place in the SEC Championship Game at the end of Week 12, but they will need to maintain the unbeaten record in the Conference.

No one will be taking anything for granted, even after putting together an eight game winning run, and especially as it has not been forgotten how the Crimson Tide were crushed in Norman twelve months ago.

Alabama are on course to return to the College Football Playoff and were Number 4 in the latest Rankings released, but the Oklahoma Sooners (7-2) are still hoping they can do enough to impress the Committee and earn a spot of their own. They came out of the latest Rankings at Number 11, but the Sooners know that they will need to be inside the top ten come the end of the season if they are going to be involved in the twelve team post-season picture.

This is the key game for the Sooners, who finish off the season against the Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers in home games.

They kept themselves alive by beating the Tennessee Volunteers on the road in Week 10 and Oklahoma are coming out of a Bye Week. Any team in that position at this stage of the regular season could be very dangerous and the Oklahoma Sooners will have studied tape from the win over Alabama in 2024 and look for the little creases that could turn this game in their favour.

Both teams are going to have some challenges to move the ball with some consistency.

The Sooners will be looking for the Offensive Line to try and win at the Line of Scrimmage against what has been another tough Alabama Defensive Line. Performances going into the Bye Week would have offered Oklahoma encouragement in the way the Offensive Line was playing, but over the course of the season it has been tough for them up front and that has shifted the pressure onto Quarter Back John Mateer.

Big expectations have been carried by John Mateer since arriving from the Washington State Cougars, and he does offer a dual-threat from the Quarter Back position. However, he has not really reached the same level produced in 2024 in a tougher Conference and schedule and Mateer may have issues if he is being forced to throw out of third and long spots on the field.

If running the ball is going to be a challenge for the Wisconsin Badgers, it is going to be doubly difficult for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

All season the Crimson Tide have not been able to do enough on the ground and that remains a concern for them and their chances to win another National Championship. They are not expected to get much joy in this one against the strength of the Badgers Defensive unit, but Alabama will still believe they can do enough Offensively to win the game.

Much of that confidence comes from having Ty Simpson at Quarter Back who is close to 2500 passing yards and who has thrown 21 Touchdown passes with a single Interception this season.

As much as the Sooners have impressed with their ability to play the run, the Secondary had been struggling before the Bye Week and allowing an average of almost 300 passing yards per game in the last three SEC games played. Head Coach Brent Venables will have had his Coaches working to improve on those numbers, especially when facing Simpson and company in Tuscaloosa, but it is an area that the home team can find the edge needed.

Brent Venables has struggled to get his team going when they are facing an opponent playing with revenge and the Sooners are just 5-9 against the spread in that spot.

Oklahoma are only 5-4 against the spread as the road underdog during this Head Coach's tenure and the suggestion is that the Alabama Crimson Tide can just show enough consistency in the passing game to edge to the cover of this spread.

NC State Wolfpack @ Miami Hurricanes Pick: The Power 4 Conferences always expect their Champions to be involved in the College Football Playoff, but there is a real chance that the ACC might miss out this season with the way things have played out.

Two seasons ago, the Florida State Seminoles were not invited into the four team Playoff, despite an unbeaten record, and the ACC have to be concerned that the Champion could be left out again if teams continue to suffer disappointing losses.

With the Seminoles kicking off the season with an upset over the Alabama Crimson Tide and big expectations carried by the Clemson Tigers and Miami Hurricanes (7-2), this is something that the ACC could not have envisioned.

Even now, the Hurricanes are Ranked as the best team in the Conference, but they are 3-2 in the Conference and will need to win out and hope for a number of permutations to land their way if they are to even make the Championship Game. Winning out might give the Playoff Committee something to think about anyway, but it is unlikely to be enough to earn a spot in the twelve team Playoff.

For now the only part the Hurricanes can control is winning out and they need to find some consistency having lost two of the last four games played.

This is the last home game of the season and Miami do still have to play the Pittsburgh Panthers, which could be a pivotal game.

Overlooking the NC State Wolfpack (5-4) would be a mistake- the record may not leap off the page and the Wolfpack are only 2-3 in the ACC, but they are playing after a Bye Week and ended the Georgia Tech unbeaten record in Week 10. This is a team who also produced the only Conference loss the Virginia Cavaliers have had this season and the Wolfpack are potential spoilers even if both of those wins have been at home.

The Wolfpack are 17-9 against the spread when playing after a rest, although that record is built on being at home following the Bye. You still have to have a huge amount of respect for a team that is still in need of one more win to become Bowl eligible and NC State will be very happy to play spoiler.

It is the battle on the Line of Scrimmage that is a feature of yet another game- the Wolfpack Offensive Line have opened up big running lanes, but the Miami Defensive Line is very strong against the run. The Hurricanes will want to clamp down up front and force CJ Bailey to try and have to beat them with his arm, although the Quarter Back will be confident form having thrown over 550 yards and 5 Touchdown passes in his last two starts.

This is a tough Secondary to compete against and one that is capable of turning the ball over, which is the challenge for CJ Bailey considering what happened when the Wolfpack faced Notre Dame Fighting Irish last month.

Miami will also be expecting to be tested when it comes to establishing the run, but the difference is that they have found a consistent pass rush to rattle Quarter Backs when stuck in third and long spots. This has not been the case for the NC State Wolfpack and that extra time for Carson Beck could make all of the difference in the outcome of this game.

Unlike the Hurricanes Secondary, the Wolfpack have allowed teams to pile up the numbers through the air in recent games and Miami's experienced signal-caller is going to be able to do the same. This should give the home team the consistency to move the ball that may be lacking for the Wolfpack and Miami can push clear of the handicap mark to give the Playoff Committee evidence of their strengths.

The Hurricanes are just 1-3 against the spread in the last four games, but the NC State Wolfpack have been set as the road underdog three times this season and all have ended in straight up and against the spread defeats.

Utah Utes @ Baylor Bears Pick: There is still a healthy amount of respect being given to the Utah Utes (7-2) who are Number 13 in the latest Playoff Rankings, but the route into the post-season remains very difficult.

Barring some big upsets in the last three weeks of the season, Utah will likely know that multiple Big 12 teams are not expected to be selected for the twelve team Playoff.

Instead it will the Conference Champions who can only really feel confident that they will be involved in the First Round and Utah have a lot of work to do if they are going to be even involved in that Championship Game.

They are 4-2 in the Big 12 this season, but the Utes have lost to both Texas Tech and BYU who are both at 5-1.

Utah will have to finish strong and then hope a number of results go their way, but the only concentration for the team in Week 12 is getting the better of the Baylor Bears (5-4).

One more win is needed to become Bowl eligible, but this has been a disappointing season for the Bears who are 3-3 in the Big 12.

The Bears have piled up some solid Offensive numbers and they are at home this weekend as they prepare to move into spoiler mode, but this is a Defensive unit that will pose a significant test. Running the ball is going to be tough and that will shift a lot of pressure onto Sawyer Robertson who has been operating behind a shaky Offensive Line.

Any time Robertson is in third and long spots, the Utah pass rush is going to get after him and this is a Utes Secondary that have continued to impress. Throwing the ball with consistent success is not going to be easy for Baylor and you can begin to understand why they have been set as a big home underdog.

The Offensive unit have needed to pile up the points to aid what has been a pretty disastrous Defensive season for Baylor.

The Bears have had a Bye Week to try and figure things out, but the Defensive Line have struggled in recent games and now have to take on this powerful Utah Offensive Line that have loved establishing the run. They have done more than that recently by helping the team rip off some huge gains on the ground and Utah are expected to be playing in third and short spots for much of the afternoon.

Devon Dampier returned at Quarter Back in the impressive win over the Cincinnati Bearcats and he will be pretty comfortable with the spots in which Utah choose to have him throw. Recent passing numbers against the Bears Secondary have not been that eye-catching, but that is also partly down to the successes teams have had pounding the rock and not needing to pick up huge chunks through the air to keep the chains moving.

It is likely to be the game plan for Utah and this is a team looking to add some style to the victories being produced.

The Utes are 3-1 against the spread as the road favourite this season and have beaten Baylor in each of the last two seasons- they look capable of doing that again and likely make some big Defensive plays to push clear of this spread.

Texas Longhorns @ Georgia Bulldogs Pick: 'Only' three SEC teams were selected to make up the twelve team College Football Playoff last season, but the Conference is set for a bounce back year in 2025.

This is the Conference that has long prided itself in being the best in College Football, but it was the Big Ten who had more participants last season. Some have suggested that is partly down to the greater depth in the SEC and teams playing in this Conference have received plenty of respect from the College Football Playoff Committee this time around.

If the season was to end today and the current Rankings were all that matters to the final Playoff shake-up, the SEC would have six teams inside the top 12 Rankings. However, the Conference is likely going to thin out the field over the last three weeks of the regular season and this game in Athens, Georgia is going to be a pivotal one to how the final Rankings come out.

The Georgia Bulldogs (8-1) were one of the three SEC teams that played in the Playoff in 2024, but they were upset as the Number 2 Seed in the Quarter Final.

This season they are currently Number 5 in the Rankings, but the Bulldogs need to win out to maintain that spot, especially as they only have one SEC game left. Even winning that last game may not be enough to take part in the Championship Game, but the focus is to put another solid win on the board and the Bulldogs are unlikely to be overlooked if they have an 11-1 record at the end of the regular season.

In Week 12 they are hosting the Texas Longhorns (7-2) who are back in the top 10 of the Rankings, but who are under pressure to finish the season as strongly as possible. There is still a chance that the Longhorns can push their way into the SEC Championship Game, but that will mean needing to upset the odds here and also beaten currently unbeaten Texas A&M Aggies in Week 14.

To say it is challenging is an understatement, but Texas had won four in a row heading into the Bye Week and finally showed the Offensive output that many had expected this season in beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores.

Winning games is impressive, but the Longhorns have to know that this Defensive unit is going to offer a lot more resistance than Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

Arch Manning is almost certainly going to spend another year in College Football before heading off to the NFL and his last two performances have shown the talent this Quarter Back has. He also carries big expectations with that surname and the Longhorns will go as far as Arch Manning can throw them in this big game.

There will not be a great expectation of receiving a lot of support from the ground attack against this Georgia Defensive Line and that will give Manning some problems. Unlike the last two opponents, this is a Secondary that have made things very difficult for opponents, even with a limited pass rush, and Georgia will believe they can offer enough looks to stall drives and perhaps even force the Quarter Back into a mistake.

The Bulldogs will also be relying on the Quarter Back to throw the ball to move the chains- the Offensive Line are not going to find it easy to open running lanes against this tough Longhorns Defensive Line.

However, Gunner Stockton will be confident in his ability to keep Georgia ticking having thrown for over 2000 passing yards with 15 Touchdown passes and just 2 Interceptions.

Most importantly, Stockton is going to be throwing into a Texas Secondary that have really been struggling to deal with the pass in recent games and that could be a real difference maker with the two Quarter Backs on display.

In the last three games, Texas have allowed well over 300 passing yards per game.

The key is whether the strong Longhorns pass rush can find a way to get to Gunner Stockton, who has been well protected of late- if the Quarter Back gets any time, he should be able to exploit the spaces he sees down the field and Stockton's care with the ball gives Georgia every chance of pushing towards the Playoff and perhaps ending the Texas Longhorns hopes.

Georgia did beat Texas twice in 2024, which will give the Longhorns the motivational edge, but the Bulldogs have been far less erratic than Texas this season.

The Longhorns have lost half of the four road games played this season and barely got the better of the Kentucky Wildcats in the other and so the edge is with Georgia to make enough big passing plays to win and cover.

MY PICKS: Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Indiana Hoosiers - 29.5 Points @ 1.95 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Alabama Crimson Tide - 6 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Miami Hurricanes - 15.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)

Utah Utes - 8.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Georgia Bulldogs - 6 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Week 11: 1-5, - 4.09 Units (6 Units Staked, - 68.17% Yield)

Week 10: 3-3, - 0.33 Units (6 Units Staked, - 5.50% Yield)

Week 9: 3-3, - 0.19 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.17% Yield)

Week 8: 2-3, - 1.18 Units (5 Units Staked, - 23.60% Yield)

Week 7: 4-1, + 2.62 Units (5 Units Staked, + 52.40% Yield)

Week 6: 2-4, - 2.22 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37% Yield)

Week 5: 1-5, - 4.20 Units (6 Units Staked, - 70% Yield)

Week 4: 2-4, - 2.14 Units (6 Units Staked, - 35.67% Yield)

Week 3: 4-4, - 0.36 (8 Units Staked, - 4.50% Yield)

Week 1: 1-4, - 3.14 Units (5 Units Staked, - 62.80% Yield)

Week 0: 2-1, + 0.75 Units (3 Units Staked, + 25% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Day 6 Tennis Picks 2024 (Friday 15th November)

We are down to the final two Group matches at the World Tour Finals and both Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz will be resting up and waiting to see who will be facing them in the Semi Final.

The second match is going to be the key, but the first on Day 6 looks full of quality before we get down to the business end of the event in Turin.

Alexander Zverev-Carlos Alcaraz over 22.5 games: When the Groups were drawn out for the ATP World Tour Finals, the meeting between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz would have been one that was expected to decide the top spot in the section.

This may yet be the case, but Carlos Alcaraz is still fighting his way back from the upset defeat to Casper Ruud in his opening match. He admitted he was not feeling his best prior to the match with Andrey Rublev to save his tournament, but afterwards Carlos Alcaraz stated he had been able to move better than in his opening match as he beat Rublev in straight sets.

It gives him a real chance to still make the Semi Final and Carlos Alcaraz will go a long way towards progression if he is able to win this one in straight sets.

However, Alexander Zverev will be doing all he can to at least secure one of the first two sets as he still has a potential path towards elimination, despite beating both Rublev and Ruud in straight sets. A heavy defeat to Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud winning the other match in straight sets could see Zverev eliminated so the focus for the German will be on securing at least a set against Carlos Alcaraz that will push him through.

Confidence should not be an issue for Alexander Zverev who beat Carlos Alcaraz at the World Tour Finals last year and who followed up by eliminating the Spaniard at the Australian Open. The two meetings since Melbourne have both been won by Alcaraz, including that epic French Open Final, but the indoor conditions suits Alexander Zverev.

Those conditions have certainly helped the ball fly from the serve and Zverev has dominated behind that shot with over 80% of points won and the German yet to face a Break Point. The serve is certainly working well enough to help Alexander Zverev rattle through some games and keep the scoreboard pressure on an opponent that has to win well to give himself the best chance of earning a spot in the next Round.

After a sub-par serving day against Casper Ruud, Carlos Alcaraz was much better next time out with 78% of points won and containing the Andrey Rublev threat. You have to credit Alexander Zverev for the wins produced this week, but he has not overwhelmed opponents with the return of serve and there are likely going to be some very tight margins to deal with when these top players meet.

We saw our first three set match in the Singles tournament on Day 5 and it would bot be a surprise if this one follows that route.

There is a definite case to be made for the total games line to be surpassed if both Zverev and Alcaraz continue to serve as they did last time out. Break Points might be hard to find and tie-breakers are looming, which should go a long way to getting passed this total line set, even if the third set is not needed.

Casper Ruud v Andrey Rublev: This is the very last match of the Group Stage at the 2024 tournament and all will become very clear in terms of permutations for both of these players before they head out onto the court in Turin. Neither will want to overburden themselves with the numbers, but it will be much clearer what they need to do in order to progress to the Semi Final.

Things are much tougher for Andrey Rublev, which is no surprise considering he has lost both matches played in straight sets. He needs Alexander Zverev to beat Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the other match in the Group played earlier in the day and Andrey Rublev would then have to win in straight sets and there is no other pathway for him to make his way to the Semi Final at this event again.

For Casper Ruud the picture will only really clear up fully at the end of the Zverev-Alcaraz match too, but his focus has to be on winning this match in straight sets. Doing that should be good enough to progress no matter what has happened earlier in the day, although there will still be some permutations to work out just in case Ruud was to drop a set.

As mentioned, there is actually a pathway for Casper Ruud to progress even after a three set defeat, but no tennis player will be thinking about trying to do anything other than winning this match.

Casper Ruud had been in miserable form in the lead up to the World Tour Finals, but the win over Carlos Alcaraz, even a limited Alcaraz, will have provided him a boost. He did not play badly against Alexander Zverev, but Ruud was not really able to have a decent impact on the return of serve and that ultimately proved costly when Zverev took the one and only Break Point he created.

Serving like that will put Andrey Rublev under pressure and the Russian has just shown a bit of fragility in both of his two losses. While there have been times when he has looked good, Rublev has dropped serve twice in each defeat and he is always likely to throw in one or two bad service games to give an opponent a chance.

This will be very much in the Casper Ruud thinking, while the Norwegian may also hold a mental advantage knowing he has beaten Rublev at this event in both 2021 and 2022.

The first of those meetings was very competitive and Andrey Rublev may count himself unlucky to lose, but Casper Ruud dismissed his challenge easily in the 2022 Semi Final and is serving well enough to find an edge in this one.

The odds feel reflective of the overall form of the two players heading into this event in Turin, but Casper Ruud has served well enough this week to stay with Andrey Rublev until what will feel like an inevitable poor service game. If the Russian is officially eliminated, it may be tough to really put in the work to turn around the match if things begin to go wrong and Casper Ruud looks a decent underdog to get behind as he hopes to unexpectedly reach the Semi Final.

MY PICKS: Alexander Zverev-Carlos Alcaraz Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Casper Ruud @ 2.50 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

World Tour Finals Update: 7-3, + 2.24 Units (10 Units Staked, + 22.40% Yield)

ATP World Tour Finals Day 4 Tennis Picks 2023 (November 15th)

Losing to Jannik Sinner has already made progress to the Semi Final of the World Tour Finals a little more awkward for Novak Djokovic and the considerable time spent on the court might be an issue on Thursday.

An injury suffered by Stefanos Tsitsipas could mean an alternate, Hubert Hurkacz, could come in and this fresh player could be very dangerous.

Jannik Sinner's win has likely moved him into a Semi Final as he has made it two from two in the Group, and the home fans are expected to be important to him over the next few days. He has one more big Group match to be played against Holger Rune, with the latter also keen to progress, and the two Thursday matches will be of huge interest for the fans.

Carlos Alcaraz - 2.5 games v Andrey Rublev: The two players who lost their opening Group matches have a chance to make amends and give themselves an opportunity to reach the Semi Final at the World Tour Finals. Both will have been frustrated with their opening performances, and eventual defeats, but Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev can still have a big impact in Turin.

Last year Andrey Rublev did reach the Semi Final at this event, while Carlos Alcaraz had to miss out, and both have a couple of injuries to deal with at the back end of a long year on the Tour. Neither will want those injuries to affect their levels early in the 2024 season with the Australian Open beginning in two months time and so there is some uncertainty as to how much they will apply themselves after the losses suffered on Monday.

However, Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev have been two of the hardest working players out there as they look to maximise all of the ability they have and the expectation is that there will be a big effort to get back on track in the Group before the deciding matches are played on Friday.

Carlos Alcaraz will feel he let his match with Alexander Zverev slip away having had chances to break serve at the end of the first set and early in the second set, when he would have taken complete control of the match.

Instead he was downed in three sets, although the time spent on the court should benefit the Spaniard in his debut appearance at the World Tour Finals.

He also played in the Day Session on Monday so there is ample recovery time after spending two and a half hours on the court. A bigger concern may be the fact that Carlos Alcaraz has now lost three of his last four matches on the hard courts when facing a top 10 Ranked opponent, even if he has been competitive in those recent defeats.

That may be a mental obstacle to overcome, but the same cane be said for Andrey Rublev who wilted in his defeat to compatriot and friend Daniil Medvedev and who now has a 2-6 record against top 10 Ranked opponents on this surface in 2023. For a long time, Andrey Rublev has struggled to deal with the emotions and mental drain that playing the top players will produce on someone and we saw more of that on Monday as he could not hide his frustrations deep into the second set of a straight sets loss.

Andrey Rublev is consistent, as mentioned in the Monday selection, but he has also consistently come up short against the top players on the Tour.

The only concern in backing Carlos Alcaraz is whether he is still dealing with an injury that is keeping his best tennis away from the court, but he did play well enough against Alexander Zverev and this might be a more comfortable match up as these two face off for the first time on the Tour.

We should see more rallies and that is where Alcaraz can eventually make his quality come through and he can bounce back in this one.

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 games v Alexander Zverev: The eventual scoreboard made it feel like Daniil Medvedev had a much easier time against Andrey Rublev than it was, especially the tight first set that saw both players have to save multiple Break Points. By the end of the match Daniil Medvedev had control though and he is looking to virtually seal a spot in the Semi Final.

A straight sets win over Alexander Zverev will do that, no matter what has happened in the other match in the Group, and Daniil Medvedev has to be very confident in facing this opponent.

Alexander Zverev came from a set down to beat Carlos Alcaraz on Monday and he is another of the former Champions of this event that is taking part in the tournament. Four previous ATP World Tour Finals matches between these players have been split 2-2 with the most important won by Zverev in becoming Champion after a straight sets win over Daniil Medvedev in 2021.

However, more often than not, Daniil Medvedev has not been too concerned when it comes to facing Alexander Zverev on the hard courts and not after finally beating him for the first time on this surface in October 2019.

Prior to that, Alexander Zverev had won all four hard court matches between these players, but the win in Shanghai in 2019 has sparked a run in which Daniil Medvedev has won eight of their eleven meetings on the surface. He has won two of the three hard court matches that have taken place in 2023 and it is Daniil Medvedev who has played the bigger points better of the two players.

Both are reliant on strong serving, although a narrow edge has been with Daniil Medvedev who has won 69% of service points played and held 90% of service games played against Alexander Zverev since his first win on the hard courts over four years ago. At the same time, Zverev has marks of 64% and 81% respectively and those fine margins have led to the majority of wins landing in favour of the Russian.

Even in their three hard court matches played in 2023, Daniil Medvedev has held 88% of the service games played compared with Alexander Zverev's mark of 84%.

Having spent a bit less physical and emotional effort in his win on Monday, Daniil Medvedev can break the tie at the World Tour Finals event and beat Alexander Zverev. The latter ended his win over Carlos Alcaraz with a slight issue with his ankle and it may just mean he is not as focused to get drawn into a long, drawn out slog with Daniil Medvedev, which ultimately may mean forcing the attack and leading to Zverev mistakes.

An aggressive approach is not a bad way to try and get after Daniil Medvedev, but it is going to be a little alien to Alexander Zverev if he is to get up to the net more often than usual. And with the head to head as it stands, you have to favour Medvedev to just be a little stronger at the key moments of this one as he looks to return to the Semi Final of the World Tour Finals.

MY PICKS: Carlos Alcaraz - 2.5 Games @ 1.83 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Daniil Medvedev - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (2 Units)

World Tour Finals Update: 4-1, + 4.38 Units (10 Units Staked, + 43.80% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2021- WTA Finals/ATP Finals (November 15th)

The Tennis continues at the Tour Finals.

Paula Badosa - 2.5 games v Iga Swiatek: The other Group was left with some permutations that could impact both matches before the day of tennis began, but that is not the case in the second Group at the WTA Finals. There is a key match to come in the evening session in Guadalajara, but for Paula Badosa and Iga Swiatek, things are clear ahead of this final Group match.

After consecutive wins, Paula Badosa has moved through to the Semi Final and she will be looking forward to the remainder of the tournament as the Spaniard looks for the biggest title of her career. She won the Indian Wells event, but winning at the WTA Finals would give Paula Badosa an incredible boost and underline the kind of progress she has made on all surfaces in 2021.

While the Spaniard is ready to compete, Iga Swiatek is going to be playing her last match in 2021 having failed to complete the win over Aryna Sabalenka despite taking the first set. This has been another decent season for the Polish youngster, but Iga Swiatek may be looking forward to the upcoming break before preparation will begin for the 2022 Tour that will be ready to go again in a few weeks time.

She hasn't played badly in the tournament and Iga Swiatek was a touch unfortunate to be beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in what was a very competitive match. Mentally you do have to wonder how much is left in the tank for Swiatek having invested as much as she did without any reward and she was the first player eliminated at the WTA Finals.

The numbers have not been good enough from the return and I think Iga Swiatek is not going to be getting a lot of change out of Paula Badosa who has been serving at a consistent level and will be looking to keep some momentum behind them.

The real difference has been the impact on the return of serve and that is where Paula Badosa looks to have a considerable edge over a player she beat at the Olympic Games. In this tournament, Badosa has created almost double the amount of break points as Iga Swiatek has and I do think the momentum is with the Spaniard who will also receive plenty of support from the crowd.

A dead rubber can be difficult to read, but I think Paula Badosa can back up the win over Iga Swiatek from Tokyo and she has played the superior tennis in Guadalajara too.

Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 games v Maria Sakkari: There was more frustration coming from Aryna Sabalenka's side of the court after dropping the first set of her second match at the WTA Finals. Errors were flying out of her racquet and it felt like Sabalenka was simply not going to get to grips with the conditions in Guadalajara.

However, Aryna Sabalenka showed tremendous belief to turn the match around against Iga Swiatek and she is the favourite to progress to the Semi Final when she takes on Maria Sakkari in this final Group match. The tennis is clearly good enough to have an impact on this court, but much depends on how well Sabalenka can hold herself together mentally as much as anything else.

She invested a lot into turning the match around against Iga Swiatek, but Maria Sakkari was also on court for over two hours a couple of days ago and she ended up in a losing effort. The performance against Paula Badosa has to be a touch worrying with the heavy hitting of the Spaniard putting Maria Sakkari under pressure for much of the match and now she has to take on a much bigger and more aggressive player.

It is key for Maria Sakkari to serve well- she gave up too many looks at her second serve in the loss to Paula Badosa and doing that here will see Aryna Sabalenka move on the front foot and dictate points. Relying on mistakes from the big hitting Belarusian is not the worst idea in the current conditions, but it is a dangerous approach and one that could really hurt Maria Sakkari if she is allowing Sabalenka to get on the front foot.

Serving well has proved to be particularly important in the altitude this tournament is being played in and that is where you have to believe Aryna Sabalenka has an edge over Maria Sakkari. We have yet to see a really strong serving day from the highest Ranked player in the tournament, but we also know how capable Aryna Sabalenka is behind that shot and it has proven to be a key in her dominant head to head with Maria Sakkari.

The last two wins have been really one-sided in favour of Aryna Sabalenka and that includes their sole match up in 2021. It has been Sabalenka who has created a lot more break points in those matches and I do think she is going to have the majority of chances in this effective Quarter Final.

There will be some twists and turns in the conditions, but Aryna Sabalenka can find a way to win and cover this handicap mark as she moves through to the Semi Final.

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 games v Casper Ruud: The ATP World Tour Finals have a new home this year in Turin having spent the last several years in London. While it is still an event played on the indoor hard courts, a new tournament means dealing with new conditions and the early thoughts from players that have been out there is that the court is playing much quicker than most they are used to playing on over the course of the season on the Tour.

It will be interesting to see how the next four players cope and whether it is going to be seen as an event where the serve is going to be very difficult to break down.

That may not be completely evident when the World Number 1 gets his tournament underway as he looks to join Roger Federer on being a six time winner at the end of year Finals. Novak Djokovic may not be able to write his name in history by winning the calendar Grand Slam, but he has had a really strong 2021 and winning the Paris Masters in the build up to the ATP Finals should underline his place as the player to beat going into the new season.

However, in recent years Novak Djokovic has not always found his best tennis at the Tour Finals and the new venue may bring its own challenges. In saying that, Novak Djokovic may be meeting the right player to open the tournament and that is not being disrespectful to Casper Ruud at the end of a very strong season for the young player.

Casper Ruud has won a number of titles and he has been playing some really good tennis, but it does have to be said that there is a mental obstacle for him to overcome. As good as Casper Ruud has been, he has not really been able to compete when facing the top players on the Tour and especially not on the hard courts.

In fact, Casper Ruud has lost all six previous matches against top 10 Ranked players on a hard court, including all four matches in that situation this season. The numbers have been really disappointing and shown a lack of competitiveness in those defeats and that has to be a worry for Casper Ruud ahead of taking on the World Number 1.

His serve can be a good weapon, but Ruud has not really returned very well in those matches against the top players of the ATP Tour. He was also beaten pretty comfortably by Novak Djokovic on the clay courts, the favourite surface for Casper Ruud, and I think the top Seed will have too much for him here as he gets off to a strong start in the new home for the ATP Tour Finals.

MY PICKS: Paula Badosa - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Aryna Sabalenka - 1.5 Games @ 2.00 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Novak Djokovic - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet Fred (2 Units)

ATP World Tour Finals Tennis Picks Day 1 2020 (November 15th)

2020 has been an incredibly strange year for so many and the Tennis Tour will feel the same with two Grand Slams being played in the second half of the season.

The WTA Tour decided to cancel their end of year Finals, but the ATP World Tour have returned to London for the last time before the Finals are moved to Turin. Playing in London has been a boost for the tournament with huge numbers arriving to watch the show in November, but that won't be the case this year with the lockdown in place in England meaning the players will be operating in a largely empty O2 Arena.

Linesmen and women have been removed too which means Hawkeye is making all the calls and that could be something we see more and more in the years ahead. I think it was a positive for the outside courts at the US Open in September and many players believe it is the best way forward at least on the surfaces other than the clay courts.

It does feel like 2021 may have a more usual feel to the Tour although we have yet to really hear how the Australian Open is going to bring players in from around the world. My feeling is that most will arrive Down Under earlier than usual and take in events in Australia ahead of the Open, although keeping them all in secure bubbles is going to be far from easy.

My hope is that by the time the French Open is set to run in June that fans will begin to be allowed back into the Stadiums in smaller numbers than usual and the same for Wimbledon and the US Open as everyone hopes for some normality to resume.

Eight players have arrived (with two alternates) in London this week and the draw for the two Groups have been made.

World Number 1 Novak Djokovic looks to be in a difficult section with the two Paris Masters Finalists Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev his main rivals and outsider Diego Sebastian Schwartzman completing the quartet.

The other Group is led by Rafael Nadal who will face in-form Andrey Rublev on the opening day of the tournament with US Open Champion Dominic Thiem and defending Champion Stefanos Tsitsipas making up the remaining spots. This looks a very tough draw for Nadal who has never won the World Tour Finals and has long suggested it should be played on different surfaces than an indoor hard court on which he has rarely thrived.

Opening matches are very important in the Round Robin stage of the tournament with the losing players already in 'must win' mode by the time they return to the courts a couple of days later. That does raise some of the pressure, but there have been enough players who have recovered from an opening loss to believe that players should be able to cope.

The conditions may feel different without the fans and the courts being as busy as usual, and that is something to keep an eye on. Some have suggested it may be a slower hard court which may suit Rafael Nadal after all, but things will become clear after the first couple of days at the Tour Finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas v Dominic Thiem: The defending US Open Champion takes on the last winner of the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday on Day 1 of the 2020 edition of this tournament.

There is going to be a very different feel for the players going out onto an empty court which is also going to be shorn of the lines judges with Hawkeye taking care of all calls. The different atmosphere may be one that Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas are a little more used to having played on the Tour over the last few months without fans inside the Stadiums, but even then I am sure most players would love to see a return of the fans as soon as it is possible.

No one will doubt that it is Dominic Thiem who will be happier with his work since the resumption of play having won the US Open- adding a Grand Slam to your resume does take you up a level and Thiem will notice there is a larger bullseye on his back in tournaments in 2021 than he has faced previously despite being one of the regular top ten players on the Tour in that time.

He played well at the French Open in the short time after he had won the US Open, but a relatively early defeat in Vienna might make it feel that Dominic Thiem is a little undercooked for this tournament, although fresher physically than he usually is at this time of the season.

Stefanos Tsitsipas had a very disappointing US Open when the draw seemingly opened up for him, but he bounced back to reach another Grand Slam Semi Final at the French Open. Like Thiem, the Greek star didn't really play well in the indoor events following Roland Garros, although Tsitsipas will be much happier in returning to London where he won the biggest title of his career so far.

They do match up pretty well with each other as Stefanos Tsitsipas has the more effective serve, but Dominic Thiem has the superior return game. I don't think anyone would be surprised to read that their head to head reflects how close they are matched with Thiem leading 4-3, and it is the Austrian's slightly better returning which has made the difference in those matches.

However it is Stefanos Tsitsipas who has won two of their last three matches on a hard court including in the Final in London twelve months ago. Overall in 2020 the defending Champion has the superior hard court numbers, and the potentially slower conditions that could be in play in London in the final year of the ATP World Tour Finals in this City should favour Stefanos Tsitsipas too.

Tie-breakers proved important in the match between these two players for the World Tour Finals title last year and I can see those being influential on this match too. Backing the slight underdog and defending Champion Stefanos Tsitsipas to come out on the right side of the key breaker looks the call here and I think he can make a winning start to the Group.

Rafael Nadal - 1.5 games v Andrey Rublev: The re-scheduling of the French Open from June to September put a few doubts around the ability of Rafael Nadal to win yet another Grand Slam title in the French capital. By the end of the tournament people must have been wondering what the fuss was about as the Spaniard crushed Novak Djokovic in the Final and barely broke a sweat to continue his dominance of the French Open.

Usually this time of the year is less successful for Rafael Nadal who has never really enjoyed playing on the indoor hard courts. The expected slower conditions in 2020 might aid him, but Nadal has not made it out of the Group Stage in his last two appearances in London and there has to be an element of doubt in the mind of this strong player despite the huge amount of successes he has enjoyed on tennis courts around the world.

The World Tour Finals are one event that Rafael Nadal has yet to win and he will have to begin in strong form if he is going to get the better of the in-form Andrey Rublev. The young Russian has really improved in 2020 and he will head into the new season as a top ten player, but Rublev has to show he is ready to compete against the other players in and around his World Ranking.

Andrey Rublev reached the Quarter Final at the US Open and he has won titles in St Petersburg and Vienna before a narrow loss in the early Rounds in Paris. Those are runs that have to be very much respected, although it does have to be pointed out that Rublev is 'only' 4-3 when facing top 20 Ranked opponents on the hard courts in 2020.

He does bring in the kind of numbers that should threaten Rafael Nadal who was beaten in the Semi Final in Paris having decided to skip the US Open so he was fully prepared for the French Open which was played soon afterwards. Andrey Rublev has really looked good behind serve, but he is an aggressive returner and that does put pressure on opponents, although the return numbers have not been nearly as strong when facing the top 20 Ranked opponents he has met on this surface this season.

Rafael Nadal has an effective enough return to believe he can at least prevent Andrey Rublev from dictating on the return, although his own return was largely ineffective in Paris earlier this month. That is from a small sample of matches with just four played in the French capital when it came to the indoor hard court tournament run there, but even a look at the return numbers last year suggest that the Spaniard is not able to really get his teeth into opponent's serves as you would have come to expect from Nadal.

That does make this an interesting match, but I do think Rafael Nadal has the mental edge which could be important on the day. As much as Andrey Rublev has improved, I do think the youngster still holds some of the best players in high regard which maybe prevents him from playing his best tennis against them.

Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev both beat Rublev in straight sets at the Grand Slams played on hard courts this season and Rafael Nadal did the same when these two met at the Quarter Final of the US Open in 2017. That is some time ago, but I just feel at the big moments Rublev may allow his mind to wander a little more than Rafael Nadal will and I think that leads to the former World Number 1 making a strong start to the tournament unlike last season.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas @ 2.10 Bet Victor (2 Units)

Rafael Nadal - 1.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (2 Units)