Boxing Picks 2025- Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron II (Sunday 20th April)

One more second was needed for the selection from last weekend to return as a winner and make a serious dent in overcoming the poor start to the season for the Boxing Picks.

However, as a fan of the sport, the feeling is that the Eimantas Stanionis corner did their best for their fighter by pulling him out of the contest at the end of the Sixth Round.

As expected, Jaron Ennis was out to make a statement and he proved too big and, most importantly, too good for the unbeaten Lithuanian who had been put down in the Sixth Round. The reality was that there was no realistic pathway towards winning the bout and so Stanionis can be prepared to fight another day.

Inactivity did not help, but I am not sure it would have made much of a difference against Boots who is the natural successor to Terence Crawford in the Welterweight Division.

We know that Ennis would love to be put in with Crawford, but Bud is preparing for a shot at Super Middleweight against Canelo Alvarez and is simply not coming back down to Welterweight or even Light Middleweight.

This does make it easier for Jaron Ennis to forge his own path and that begins by taking on the remaining two Champions at 147 and then moving into the Light Middleweight Division himself. The size of Ennis suggests he is capable of going up to Middleweight too and there are some big fights out there for even without Terence Crawford.

Firstly he would love to get Brian Norman Jr and Mario Barrios into the ring with him- these really need to happen over the course of the next twelve months and then Ennis can look to move up into the Light Middleweight Division where the hope is that Jermell Charlo will be back having spent time away following his own bid to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.

Both Charlo brothers could be back in the ring over the next few weeks and that will give the 154 and 160 pound Divisions a bit of a boost.

Of course there is the bout with Vergil Ortiz Jr that feels even bigger than if they had taken on that challenge earlier this year, while Tim Tszyu has begun his rebuild.

Make no mistake, the future looks very bright for Boots after a dominant performance and the key is to make sure he does not lose the momentum that he will have earned.

Last weekend's main event was a Unificiation bout in the Welterweight Division, but the focus over the next few days is on UK fighters that want to be in the kinds of fights that Jaron Ennis just had.

On Saturday Dalton Smith takes another step towards his first World Title bout- most expect that to be next as long as he can avoid any slips.

And then on Sunday there is a huge rematch at domestic level when Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron meet for a second time following a controversial ending to their first fight in Saudi Arabia. Both are decent, if unspectacular, cards and this is the final weekend before all of the build up to the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn fight taking place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Saturday.

Ben Whittaker vs Liam Cameron II

The controversial ending to the first fight in Saudi Arabia has set the table for this rematch.

Some felt Ben Whittaker was looking for a way out having perhaps underestimated the tenacity and will to win that Liam Cameron was bringing to the ring on the night. It was clearly not Whittaker's best night in the office, but he could have moved on from Cameron and has to be given some credit for taking the immediate rematch.

Critics may feel that Ben Whittaker had no other choice, but the potential next star in British Boxing has a big chance to make amends and get this career back on track.

A mistake in the contract that was sent to Queensberry and Liam Cameron meant there had been some dispute about number of Rounds set for the fight, but that has finally been cleared up and a Ten Rounder has been agreed.

Liam Cameron has to be respected and he is someone who is willing to dig deep to try and get the best out of his career. He will put in the hard work and Cameron is going to have taken a lot of confidence from the way the first fight was developing, especially as he feels Ben Whittaker did not have much left when the premature conclusion came about.

Things were certainly not going Ben Whittaker's way in October, but the expectation is that he will have learned plenty about the professional game on that day.

While he may not openly be discussing his reasons for the relatively poor performance, Ben Whittaker is with a new team and he should be much better prepared for what is to come. This time he should be patient and not looking to blow past a tough, rugged opponent, and that should see Ben Whittaker's skills come to the fore and lead to a victory to right what he will feel were the wrongs of six months ago.

Liam Cameron's recovery story has made plenty of headlines and he comes across a likeable fighter who should give a good account of himself to create further opportunities.

However, he has come up short against Lyndon Arthur in a Split Decision and The Surgeon may be able to bank the early Rounds with a bit more authority to earn the nod on the cards.

Tyler Denny and Frazer Clarke should both win scheduled Ten Rounders on the day with the former more likely to need the cards and the latter perhaps forcing a late Stoppage as he returns from major surgery.

The best fight on the undercard could be the one between Lee Cutler and Sam Eggington and it does not look easy to call.

You have to believe Cutler will be too fresh for Sam Eggington, but the latter has a habit of ripping up the script unexpectedly and it should be fun for however long this one lasts.

On Saturday evening, Dalton Smith looks to take another step towards bringing a World Title fight to his home town later in the year.

There is so much to like about Smith and his development and he should have too much speed and quality for Mathieu Germain.

The Canadian fighter has won seven in a row, but Germain will know time is running out at 35 years old and so he has perhaps been looking for an opportunity like this one. However, this is a big step up for Mathieu Germain and the feeling is that Dalton Smith will be able to move through the gears and put together another statement making victory before targeting Alberto Puello and his WBC World Title next.

Dalton Smith has shown he can move through the gears pretty quickly when at his best and he can secure another relatively quick Stoppage.

A card being hosted in Sheffield has Yorkshireman Josh Warrington looking to begin one more big run having suggested he was moving into retirement after losing his last contest.

He should have enough to either force a very late Stoppage or a wide points Decision when returning this week, while another Yorkshireman, Josh Padley is back and looking to return to winning ways after losing to Shakur Stevenson earlier this year.

MY PICKS: Ben Whittaker to Win By Decision/Technical Decision @ 1.91 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Dalton Smith to Win Between 1-6 @ 2.10 Bet365 (2 Units)

Boxing 2025: 15-34, - 11.73 Units (59 Units Staked, - 19.88% Yield)

NBA Picks 2025- Play In Tournament (Tuesday 15th April-Friday 18th April)

The 4-0-1 run for the NBA Picks in the 2024 Finals proved to be the difference between a winning and losing season for the selections.

Matching the Playoff run through the 2023 tournament was always going to be challenging, but back to back years with a profit returned cannot be ignored.

After a long regular season, and the second NBA Cup, we are back into the post-season beginning with the Play In Tournament from Tuesday through to Friday. We have seen the opening schedule for the Game 1s of the First Round with four to be played on Saturday and four to be played on Sunday and it is no surprise that the four teams that are able to come through the Play In Tournament will be featured on the second of those days.

Of course the final two places will not be decided until Friday and so those two teams will be the ones with the least amount of recovery and preparation before the Playoffs get underway, but that is the downside of either finishing as a the Number 9 or 10 Seed in either Conference or having lost the battle between the Number 7 and Number 8 Seeds.

Those opening games between the highest Seeds involved in the Play In Tournament have been set for Tuesday with the first elimination games played on Wednesday.

The regular season may still be tweaked in the years ahead to ensure games matter even more than they do now, although that does not mean it was a year devoid of storylines.

Even now, the trade made by the Dallas Mavericks to move Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers is being felt throughout the League and the former of those teams has to find a way to win two games and earn a spot in the First Round of the Playoffs. Anything less than that will have Mavericks fans wondering whether there should be firings in the executive areas of the team, namely Nico Harrison, especially as it would have happened less than twelve months since Dallas were playing in the NBA Finals.

It is a big week for the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic, two teams in each Conference that will certainly feel they can give the top Seeds something to think about if they are able to make it through the Play In Tournament. Others may value the experience that participating in the First Round of the Playoffs will give them, even if they are not expected to have a big impact in the Playoff and so there will be plenty of motivation on display when the first phase of the post-season this week.

As in previous years, the First Round Picks for the NBA Playoffs will be split into a couple of threads, but the first of those will be published on Friday evening/Saturday morning.

Before that, the focus is on the Play In Tournament with selections added to this thread over the next four days as the match ups are set.

Tuesday 15th April

Atlanta Hawks @ Orlando Magic Pick: The regular season series may have been split 2-2, but you cannot place a lot of stock in the Atlanta Hawks win over the Orlando Magic on the final day of the regular season. The Seeds for the Play In Tournament had already been set by then and both the Hawks and Magic knew they would be meeting in Orlando in the first of the Play In games with the teams holding the Number 7 and 8 Seeds.

The reason the Orlando Magic are hosting is thanks to a home win over the Atlanta Hawks last week and that was a game that had meant a lot to both teams.

It will give the Magic the mental edge in this game where the winner will move into the bracket for the Playoff with a Series against the Boston Celtics to come. The losing team will have a second opportunity to earn a spot in the post-season later in the week when hosting the winner of the Chicago-Miami Play In Tournament game, but neither Orlando nor Atlanta will be thinking about anything other than winning this one.

The top two Seeds in the Eastern Conference are both looking very strong and will be tough to beat, but the Orlando Magic may be the most dangerous opponent to meet. Injuries are perhaps the main reason Orlando finished 3 games out of the top six in the Eastern Conference with the likes of Frank Wagner and Paolo Banchero missing significant time during the regular season, but both have been influential to earning the top spot in the Play In Tournament.

Jalen Suggs is missing, which is a blow, but the Orlando Magic have continued to play strong Defensive basketball and that is expected to be key in this game. When beating the Atlanta Hawks at home last week, Orlando were a bit more careful with the ball, but the key was matching the three point output of the Hawks on the night.

They may need more of the same in this one with Atlanta still looking like a team that can rack up the points on any given night. Trae Young has shown his ability to perform in the pressurised environment of the post-season plenty of times and the Hawks finished the season in very consistent form on the Offensive side of the court, although they will have to respect how well Orlando have played against that.

There is also pressure on the Hawks Offensively as they have not performed as well on the other side of the court throughout the season. This Orlando team may not be that convincing Offensively, but they have those players like Banchero and Frank Wagner capable of doing enough and that is how this opening Play In Tournament may end up landings.

With the Magic better at home, they can do enough Offensively to keep the Hawks under some pressure and that should allow the Defensive schemes to just pressurise the road team to force up some shots. As long as the Magic continue to challenge on the boards as they did last week, Orlando can find a way to win this game and cover the spread set.

The Number 7 Seed is 6-2 in the Play In Tournament since this format was introduced and the Orlando Magic can extend that further with the win and cover.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors Pick: They were one of a handful of teams that had so much riding on the final regular season game, but the Golden State Warriors were beaten at home in Overtime by the LA Clippers. Despite being one of the hottest teams in the NBA since the All Star Game, that defeat has cost the Warriors an opportunity to take their place in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs and instead they enter the Play In Tournament.

This is still a veteran team that will feel they can have a major impact in the post-season, but the key for the Warriors may be winning this first of potentially two Play In Tournament games. Winning this one would mean facing the Houston Rockets in the First Round, which feels a much more winnable Series than having to go in with the Number 1 Seed and title favourites Oklahoma City Thunder.

Head Coach Steve Kerr will not be too concerned, but it does feel the Number 7 Seed in the Playoff will offer Golden State a much better chance to really build momentum. With players like Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler in the rotation, the Warriors are going to be very dangerous if they can play their way into the First Round.

This opening Play In Tournament game sees the Warriors hosting the Memphis Grizzlies, who had a late, disappointing collapse in their own bid to earn a top six finish in the tough Western Conference. Memphis did win four of their last six games, but consecutive defeats to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets saw those two teams earn one of the top six places and with Memphis now scrambling for a spot in the First Round.

The losing team is likely going to be a favourite in the last elimination game later this week, but having to face the Thunder in the First Round instead of the Rockets will mean there is plenty of motivation to avoid that pressurised final game.

With Ja Morant in the lineup, there has not been a lot wrong with the Memphis Offensive approach down the stretch, although this is a tough test for them against the Golden State Defense. It becomes that much more challenging on the road and the Grizzlies may be put under pressure by the continued absence of Jaylen Wells.

His absence has really been felt on the Defensive side of the court and that may be the case again on Tuesday as they prepare to face an opponent that won three of the four regular season games. That includes the Golden State Warriors winning as a road favourite at the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month when Steph Curry put up 52 points and was well backed by Jimmy Butler (27 points).

This feels like a decent enough match up for the Warriors and they should have had ample time to recover emotionally and physically from the Overtime loss to the Clippers on Sunday. That game was played in the afternoon and this one is set for Tuesday evening so there will be no excuses for Golden State as they look to avoid an elmination from this Play In Tournament format for the third time in five years.

Last year they were beaten as the Number 10 Seed, while losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies saw the Warriors eliminated in 2021. It has been a few seasons, but revenge can be earned for that home defeat in 2021 with a strong victory over Memphis to take their place as the Number 7 Seed in the Western Conference Playoff bracket.

Wednesday 16th April

Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls Pick: The regular season has been completed and we move into a portion of the schedule where experience can be more valuable than outright talent.

The experience edge has to be with the Miami Heat in the first elimination game played in the Play In Tournament in 2025 when the Number 10 Seed visit the Chicago Bulls. However, it is the Number 9 Seeded Bulls hosting this game and they will point out that they have won all three regular season games between these rivals and all have been played since February.

That includes the Bulls beating the Miami Heat by 8 points last week, which is effectively why Chicago are hosting rather than travelling to South Florida. In saying that, the situation is a bit different in this Play In Tournament game compared with the three regular season games and that is because the Bulls have been set as the favourite, albeit narrow favourite, for the first time.

Players and fans will know that and that does build pressure with a sense of expectation around the team.

Trades were made by both Chicago and Miami during the regular season which will have dampened enthusiasm for a deep post-season run and both know that their only opponent in the First Round is the Number 1 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Even reaching that Round will mean winning two games in a row this week, but the focus has to be on Wednesday when the 'win or go home' state first comes up.

Seeding has tended to be important in the opening Play In Tournament games and the Number 9 Seed has a 6-2 record against the Number 10 Seed. That includes Chicago winning as a host in 2024, while in 2023 the Bulls were one of the Number 10 Seeds that have secured a road upset to move through.

In saying that, it will not have been lost on anyone that both the 2023 and 2024 Play In Tournament runs ended in the Number 8 Seed Game and both times the Chicago Bulls have fallen at the hands of the Miami Heat.

This is going to be a mental factor that the Bulls have to overcome if they are going to progress and earn one more shot at taking their place in the post-season.

Chicago will need their key players to be healthy and all of the talk in the City is about Josh Giddey and his availability after it was announced he has been dealing with tendinitis issue that could affect his three point shooting capabilities. Like many of the starters, he was rested at times down the stretch in order to be ready to compete and his status is going to be important.

The expectation is that he will suit up and this is a Bulls team that have dominated those they will have expected to beat in recent games. However, the team have struggled against the top teams and so anything more than a First Round Playoff run would be seen as a huge success.

They will be able to attack a Miami team that have not been as strong since trading Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors, but a team that could benefit from the development some of the younger players have had. Like Chicago, the Heat were focused on the Play In Tournament when concluding the regular season and they will be confident that they can create the situations to hurt a Bulls team missing some of their better Defensive talent.

However, the Heat no longer have that go-to player who can take a post-season game over, while the team lost four of their last six games to close out the regular season. When they played here last week, the Heat actually won the turnover battle, but that was still not enough to secure the victory and Josh Giddey's availability would see this game lean in favour of the hosts.

This is not a big spread so it is reasonable to point out that the Heat have struggled as road underdogs with a 6-14 record in twenty games played in that spot. It is the first time they are being given points against Chicago this season, but those three regular season wins have to count for something and recent history continues to give the Number 9 Seed the advantage in this elimination Play In Tournament game.

Dallas Mavericks @ Sacramento Kings Pick: Both of these teams made big moves by trading away their best Guard ahead of the trade deadline, but there is little doubt that the biggest noise continues to be around the one that the Dallas Mavericks made.

Most teams may have shopped around for the best haul when talking about moving a potentially generational talent, but Nico Harrison has been hugely criticised for not only deciding that the Mavericks are better off without Luke Doncic. Furthering the disgust of the fans has been the news that Harrison had focused only on Anthony Davis as the trade piece he wanted back and so Dallas quietly moved behind the scenes to make a really poor trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Poor for the Mavericks, not for the Number 3 Seeded Lakers.

This is going to go down as a historically poor trade and even winning the NBA Championship may not be enough to excuse Nico Harrison's thinking.

The reality is that the Dallas Mavericks made the NBA Finals last year with Luka Doncic a huge piece of that run, but this year they have almost backed into the Play In Tournament and Kyrie Irving has been injured and ruled out for the remainder of the season. Many were baffled that Harrison was so keen to bring in injury-prone Anthony Davis and that is how it has worked out with Davis missing considerable time, although available for this Play In Tournament game.

When the Sacramento Kings moved De'Aaron Fox days after the Doncic trade, it barely made a blip on the radar that was still shaking by what Dallas had done.

The Kings have not exactly been flying since their own trade, but they have been solid and they look to have a team that can produce too much scoring for the current Dallas Mavericks roster. Being at home is another advantage, while the Kings have won both regular season games against the Mavericks since February.

Four losses in five games to round out the regular season offers little encouragement for fans of the Dallas Mavericks and they are likely going to need some fortune if they are going to prolong their season for a few more days. Ultimately they will need the Sacramento shooters to have a poor evening shooting the ball if the Mavericks are going to be able to impose their size on this Play In Tournament game, but that feels like a big ask and Sacramento may have too much.

Sacramento blew out the Golden State Warriors in this exact same spot twelve months ago and there is a chance that this gets out of hand for the Dallas Mavericks.

In recent games, the Dallas Mavericks have been inconsistent when it comes to shooting the three point shot and there is every chance this game becomes ugly if they are being forced to throw up too many of those shots. They are also playing a Kings team that have been pretty good Defensively over the last couple of weeks and one that has the Offensive talent to really push the pace against their opponent.

Nico Harrison is going to have some big questions to answer from those above him if the Mavericks are bounced out early having reached the NBA Finals in 2024, but that looks the only likely outcome of this elimination game. Fans will be wondering what may have been if someone could have stopped the trade that rocked the NBA world, and that may become even more painful to watch and/or read if Dallas do not make the First Round of the Playoff and the Los Angeles Lakers have the kind of run that many feel they can.

Friday 18th April

Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks Pick: These two teams could not be heading into this lasr Play In Tournament game in different moods, but the results since the introduction of this stage of the post-season have perhaps been surprising.

You may anticipate that the team that won the first game would have the momentum in the Play In Tournament, but it is the higher Seed that lost the opening Tournament game who have won five of the eight elimination games played. That includes winning the last four in a row and so it cannot be underestimaed the edge home advantage can give any team.

The Miami Heat have earned their place in this Play In Tournament game by crushing the Chicago Bulls on the road and they are just the third Number 10 Seed that have made it through to the Number 8 Seed game. The previous two were both beaten and Miami will know that it is going to be a challenge for them to continue producing on the Offensive side of the court at the high level that they have been.

Facing the Atlanta Hawks, who were blown out by the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, will give Miami the mental edge after winning the last two regular season games between these rivals. However, both were at home and the Heat have lost twice in this Arena already this season.

Miami came out very quickly against the Chicago Bulls and then suffocated them Defensively by holding them to just 90 points. This has to give the Heat plenty of reason to believe they can win here and this is a team that will look to the strong Defensive play to spark what they do Offensively with turnovers the key.

There is no doubting that the Miami Heat have been shooting the ball well in recent games and they can put some pressure on the Atlanta Hawks, although there are players in the home uniform who will also feel they can make a big Defensive impact on the game.

A concern has to be that Atlanta struggled to deal with the Orlando Magic Defensive schemes on Tuesday, even before Trae Young was ejected from the game. They are gong to need to organise more effectively on this side of the court and the Hawks have to play a cleaner game than the Miami Heat in terms of turnovers and rebounding numbers and this has the feeling of a very close game.

Neither is expected to offer too much resiliency against the Number 1 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, but the narrow lean has to be with the Miami Heat to become the first Number 10 Seed to earn a spot in the First Round of the Playoff. Nothing will come easy, but Miami may feel that their Defensive work gives them the edge, as long as they can find someone to step up and perform Offensively as they have seen in recent games.

Dallas Mavericks @ Memphis Grizzlies Pick: The Dallas Mavericks upset the odds to beat the Sacramento Kings and that has earned them the right to compete in the Number 8 Seed in the Western Conference Play In Tournament. They are just the second Number 10 Seed to make it through the opening elimination game and that occurred just hours after Miami Heat had become the first to do that.

Making the First Round may not appease the unhappy fans, but the knives could be out for Nico Harrison if Dallas fail to make the Playoff.

He will have been very satisfied watching Anthony Davis lead the Mavericks to that win earlier this week, but this is another big test for Dallas when they head out to face the Memphis Grizzlies. A narrow loss to the Golden State Warriors has forced the Grizzlies into this Number 8 Seed game, but they will be encouraged by the overall performance and a couple of blowout wins over the Mavericks since the Luka Doncic trade will also help.

One of those may not matter too much with it being played on the final day of the regular season, but the win in March is important and will give Memphis plenty of belief to take into this game.

However, there is one concern that Ja Morant may miss out.

While he has not reached previous levels, Morant's recent performances have been much more encouraging and his absence will hurt Memphis. The Grizzlies are 18-14 without Ja Morant this season, but they will give him all of the time he needs to get himself ready to play having hurt his ankle in that loss to the Warriors.

The Grizzlies will know that their Offensive plans will be impacted without Ja Morant, although they can still give Dallas more to think about than the Sacramento Kings did in a disappointing home loss. The Mavericks will try and use their size to dominate the boards and limit the Memphis Grizzles to one and done, while grinding it out has to be part of the plan Offensively.

Most teams in the NBA will look to really get going from the three point range, but that is not a strength for Dallas and instead they will want to get the ball down into Anthony Davis and use him to open things up for others. The Mavericks did hit 14 three pointers in the win over the Kings and at 50% of the shots thrown up, but this Memphis team has plenty of intensity when getting out to the shooters and that could prevent that happening again.

Klay Thompson did remind people of his obvious talent in that win over the Kings to support Davis, but the veteran is not the force he once was. Replicating that effort will be tough and it gives Memphis the edge, even if Morant has to sit out.

This is a big spread if Dallas can impose themselves on this Number 8 Seed game, but the feeling is they may not have the consistency to do that as they did when beating the Sacramento Kings. This may just give Memphis the impetus to pull away in the Fourth Quarter and cover this mark set for the last Play In Tournament game.

MY PICKS: 15/04 Orlando Magic - 5 Points @ 1.90 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

15/04 Golden State Warriors - 6.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

16/04 Chicago Bulls - 1 Point @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

16/04 Sacramento Kings - 5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

18/04 Miami Heat + 1 Point @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

18/04 Memphis Grizzlies - 6 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Play In Tournament: 3-3, - 0.28 Units (6 Units Staked, - 4.67% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Sunday 13th April)

It did feel like the Semi Final was going to get away from Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, but the battling qualities on the clay courts was on display and it helped him to a competitive defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

This may not be good news for Davidovich Fokina, but it was for the Tennis Picks with another winner on the board here in Monte Carlo.

On Sunday the tournament comes to a conclusion before important ATP events in Munich and Barcelona next week as the big names continue to get as much clay court tennis under the legs before the second Grand Slam of the season begins. The Final should be a decent match in Monte Carlo, but it is hard to look past Carlos Alcaraz to win the trophy and just underline his status as the player to beat in Paris in June.

Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 games v Lorenzo Musetti: There have been successes at Grand Slam level, which is always most important to any player on the Tour, but Carlos Alcaraz will be pleased to end a relatively long wait for a place in the Final of an ATP 1000 event.

Winning the title on Sunday will move Carlos Alcaraz back into World Number 2 and he will certainly feel he can build momentum towards the defence of the French Open title won last year. While his main rival Jannik Sinner continues to serve a suspension, Carlos Alcaraz can build his own confidence and the Spaniard is a strong favourite to win the title in Monte Carlo.

We have not always seen his very best tennis at the tournament, but Carlos Alcaraz has played well and the Semi Final victory will have only improved his own belief.

He will be facing Lorenzo Musetti in the Final and the World Number 16 has to be respected for his ability and comfort on the red dirt. However, the Italian has had to dig very deep in the last couple of Rounds in his wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur and you do have to wonder if the accumulated fatigue works against Lorenzo Musetti, especially with the Final scheduled for earlier in the day than would usually be the case.

The challenge for Lorenzo Musetti is being able to serve well enough to contain the threat of Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last two wins, Musetti has faced twenty-nine Break Points and that suggests he will have some issue against Carlos Alcaraz who has won 47% of return points played this week and has broken in 42% of return games played. The issue for Alcaraz has been protecting his own serve, although Lorenzo Musetti has had his difficulties against this opponent in recent meetings.

You cannot rule out Lorenzo Musetti from making this competitive considering how well he can perform on this surface, but this feels a tough ask with the match being played without a lot of rest and recovery time.

A fast start will be needed from the Italian, but Carlos Alcaraz has looked like he has been enjoying his time here in Monte Carlo and the may just be able to get through those early moments to take control of the Final. With his returning working well so far this week, Carlos Alcaraz may just come through with a victory along with a cover of this handicap set.

MY PICK: Carlos Alcaraz - 4.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 5-1, + 3.49 Units (6 Units Staked, + 58.17% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2025- Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis (Saturday 12th April)

When the money is as good as some of the top names in the Boxing community are earning, it is always the hardest thing to let go.

The reality is that for fighters like Joe Joyce, they are unlikely to be in a position to earn at their current levels doing anything else and that makes it that much harder to accept when your time is finished in the ring.

Even Frank Warren sounded a little nervous to commit to further fights promoting Joyce after his latest loss, but this is not a decision for Warren, but one that Joe Joyce is going to have to make himself.

He was not completely outclassed by Filip Hrgovic, but the Croatian has not exactly looked like a top level Heavyweight himself in recent outings and so you have to believe the upper echelon of the Division is now beyond the reach of Joe Joyce. Does he really want to become something of a gate-keeper at 39 years old and with the reflexes slowing down all the time? He cannot seriously believe he can become a World Champion now, even if the Titles are eventually fragmented again, and so that conversation about retirement will have to be had by those around him.

Sometimes the fighter does need to be protected from themselves, but news that Josh Warrington is making another return this week just underlines the point about how hard it is to accept limitations.

Speaking about Warrington, it did felt like something was left in the tank even after suffering a third straight loss and he may get one more big run. That seems much more unlikely for Joe Joyce and that is where people do need to have his best interests at heart.

Last weekend was a crossroads fight for Joyce and Hrgovic and the same could be said for Tim Tszyu who secured a big win after consecutive defeats in the United States. He looks in line to face Keith Thurman as he continues his rebuild, while the controversial ending to David Adeleye's win over TKV has already had the British Board request for a rematch.

Richard Torrez Jr continues his move up the Heavyweight World Rankings with a solid win on the board and it was another good week of action for fans of the sport.

We are now just two weeks away from the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn card, but there is a big rematch in British terms next weekend when Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron meet for a second time.

However, the biggest fight left in April should be coming from Atlantic City when the WBA and IBF World Titles in the Welterweight Division are Unified.

Some may feel this is also the bout that should determine the Number 1 in the Division, but Brian Norman Jr can certainly make a challenge to that and is potentially next in line for the winner in yet another Unification.

Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis

With Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford moved on after deciding the best in the 147 pound Division in July 2023, the Welterweights have perhaps lost some of the star appeal that has been associated with those fighting for the World Titles for years.

There had been a lot of hype around Jaron Ennis, but recent performances have raised more questions than answers.

He can make a real statement this weekend if he can Unify two of the four World Titles and the hope is that we will continue to see the Champions fight one another through the remainder of the calendar year.

Winning the Interim IBF World Title in January 2023 should have sparked the Jaron Ennis run, but he has struggled to entice a really big name in the ring with him. Two wins over Karen Chukhadzhian and further victories over Roiman Villa and David Avanesyan are not exactly going to bring Ennis to the forefront and he needs to win this fight and win well.

No one should doubt the ability of the IBF World Champion, even if some believe he has been getting hit more than he should against limited opposition. Some of that may be down to the lacklustre names in front of him, but Jaron Ennis will not have many excuses if he underperforms against an unbeaten WBA World Champion.

Eimantas Stanionis won the Regular WBA World Title in his fourteenth fight and defended it in his fifteenth, but has since been upgraded to full World Champion. The worrying part of that is that those two fights took place in April 2022 and August 2024 and inactivity has been a real issue for the 30 year old.

After the Covid pandemic, Stanionis was out twice in quick succession, but there has to be a big impact in his development that his last seven fights have been since December 2019. There is inactivity and there is inactivity and while some of it has not been the fault of the fighter, you do have to wonder how ready the Lithuanian can be for a challenge like this one.

You may look at the Jaron Ennis resume and become a little underwhelmed, but there is almost nothing on the Eimantas Stanionis resume that would have you sit up and take notice.

He has proven to be tough and Stanionis should help create an interesting fight with his come forward style, but this is likely going to end with Jaron Ennis having a chance to show off why so many believe he is the best in the Division.

We should see all of the Ennis skills as he breaks down an opponent that has not really been prepared for this kind of test, while the IBF World Champion has had two solid fights in 2024 and should be improving with the regular return to the ring.

There will be plenty of eyes on this fight, and it is one where Jaron Ennis may just grow as it develops with the American forcing a Stoppage at some stage in the second half of the contest.

MY PICKS: Jaron Ennis to Win Between 7-12 @ 5.00 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Boxing 2025: 15-33, - 10.73 Units (58 Units Staked, - 18.50% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Saturday 12th April)

Most, not all, of the Masters events played on the ATP Tour have been extended a few days rather than played within a single week, but the Monte Carlo Masters is a rare event that sticks with the traditional format.

It does mean a fast moving tournament is into the final two days with the Semi Final matches scheduled for Saturday.

Some of the top names have been playing here this week with this being the first big step on the road to the French Open, but it is the defending Roland Garros Champion who is the highest Seed remaining in the tournament.

His opponent secured an easy win for the Tennis Picks in the Quarter Final and that has just ensured a solid bounce back after losing the first selection of the clay court season. There are still three potential Picks to be made before we can come to a conclusion on this being a positive week or not, but we are in a good position moving into Semi Final day.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina + 4.5 games v Carlos Alcaraz: The feeling was that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina would have too much clay court nous for Alexei Popyrin, but it still came as a slight surprise that he was able to win that Quarter Final without any issues at all.

The Spaniard did not face a Break Point in that win, and was able to create nine chances with three Breaks produced, but everyone on his team will be expecting a vastly tougher challenge when going up against the World Number 3.

Rafael Nadal had been the dominant clay court player in his time on the Tour and likely goes down as the greatest player on the surface, but Spanish tennis has been given a boost by the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz on the Tour. He is already a multiple time Grand Slam Champion and the World Number 3 is the defending French Open Champion, while likely going into Roland Garros as the favourite to win the title again.

However, it has not been the easiest of weeks for Carlos Alcaraz and he was given a real test in his Quarter Final win over Arthur Fils.

Players at the very elite level of tennis are always going to be looking for improvements and Carlos Alcaraz will certainly feel he can serve better than he has so far this week. His last two opponents have both created at least ten Break Points against him and that is something that Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will look to exploit in his bid to earn the upset.

Of course the lower Ranked Spaniard is going to be have to be well aware of the returning power that Carlos Alcaraz has on any clay court.

It has been that aspect of his tennis that has helped him through to the Semi Final here and Alcaraz will not be overly concerned about the serve of the World Number 42, even if Davidovich Fokina is a player that can rally with just about anybody on the clay.

This is likely to be a tough match for both, much like it was when they met in Barcelona two years ago.

On that occasion Carlos Alcaraz was able to come through in two competitive sets, but both players managed to produce eleven Break Points and it was only converting four Breaks to three that helped Alcaraz to the victory.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has played well enough here in Monte Carlo to believe he can at least push the younger man again and this looks like plenty of games to be given to the former. There will be some moments where Davidovich Fokina is going to have to fend off the Carlos Alcaraz charge, but he is certainly capable of returning well enough to create opportunities of his own and ultimately that may see him cover, even in a likely losing effort.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina + 4.5 Games @ 2.10 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 4-1, + 2.39 Units (5 Units Staked, + 47.80% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Friday 11th April)

After making hard work of his Second Round win over Jordan Thompson, Stefanos Tsitsipas took all of his chances and dominated the big points in his comfortable win over Nuno Borges in the Third Round on Thursday to tick a winning selection.

We are moving into the Quarter Final Round on Friday with all four matches scheduled to be played- it was almost tempting to back Tsitsipas for a third time this week, but Lorenzo Musetti's performances have been strong enough to push back against that selection.

The feeling is that Carlos Alcaraz and Alex De Minaur will both win, but the handicap mark looks about right for both of those matches and just offers the underdog of covering, even in a losing effort.

That leaves just the one selection from the Quarter Final Round and that comes from the opening match of the day.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 games v Alexei Popyrin: Both of these players earned 'upsets' to take their place in the Monte Carlo Masters Quarter Final, although you have to believe Alejandro Davidovich Fokina would have been 'expecting' his win over Jack Draper more than Alexei Popyrin may have done when facing Casper Ruud.

The win for Popyrin deserves plenty of respect on this surface and the Australian has been using his serve to build pressure.

All three of Alexei Popyrin's wins have been in three sets and he has perhaps had a bit of fortune behind them when you think all three of his opponents actually created more Break Points in those defeats. Take nothing away from someone winning the big points to progress, but it is an unsustainable method and you do have to wonder if Popyrin could just run out of fuel in what is expected to be another tough clay court match.

His opponent has fallen down the World Rankings in recent months and comes into the tournament as the World Number 42, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is very comfortable on the clay courts. The Spaniard has also needed three sets in two of his three wins in Monte Carlo, but he has looked more convincing in his victories and that should give Davidovich Fokina some confidence to take into this Quarter Final.

The serve is not the most convincing, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is an effective return players on the surface.

This could be the key to the outcome of this match and Davidovich Fokina looks to have a considerable edge over Alexei Popyrin in that department. While not always being the player that can be trusted to produce his best on any given day, the Spaniard may still have enough here to win the match and cover this mark as the favourite.

MY PICKS: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 3-1, + 1.59 Units (4 Units Staked, + 39.75% Yield)

Monte Carlo Masters Tennis Picks 2025 (Thursday 10th April)

It felt like another frustrating day was in the offing at the Monte Carlo Masters, but this time fortune smiled down on the Tennis Picks with some big moments going the way of the players selected.

This was in direct contrast to the opening day and has pushed the total back into a positive number.

The first clay court Picks of the season can be difficult to judge with players adjusting to the red dirt having largely competed on the hard courts to open 2025, but we should see pretty quick improvements in the level, even at this opening Masters tournament in the run towards Roland Garros.

However, saying all that, the Third Round matches scheduled for Thursday look tough and the sole pick is going back in with the defending Champion, even if he let me down a couple of days ago.

Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 games v Nuno Borges: It took a bit of time to get into his rhythm, but by the end of the Second Round win over Jordan Thompson, Stefanos Tsitsipas was motoring.

This is a venue where Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to find his best tennis and the numbers were up to where he would have wanted them to be at the end of that win over Jordan Thompson.

However, in saying that, the Greek star will be expecting a sterner challenge from Nuno Borges and that in turn means having to come out and play some of his better tennis right from the start of this Third Round match. The defending Champion will have some confidence after a decent couple of months on the Tour and ahead of this clay court part of the year, but this is a tough event and the standard of opponent is taking a big step upwards.

Nuno Borges has two wins under his belt in Monte Carlo, although he was pushed all the way in the Second Round by clay court specialist Pedro Martinez. The opening win over Holger Rune is hard to judge considering the second set retirement that was forced upon the Dane, but Borges will be playing with plenty of belief, even with some mixed results on the surface so far this season.

The World Number 43 is a solid performer on the clay, but he was beaten relatively comfortably by Stefanos Tsitsipas on this surface two years ago. While Nuno Borges has improved since then, this is still a big test on the clay courts of Monte Carlo and it may be just a little too much to ask against Stefanos Tsitsipas who loves playing here.

MY PICKS: Stefanos Tsitsipas - 3.5 Games @ 1.66 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Monte Carlo Update: 2-1, + 0.93 Units (3 Units Staked, + 31% Yield)