United Corner- Papering Over the Cracks (October 19th)

United Corner- Papering Over the Cracks (October 19th 2018)

Things were looking pretty bleak two weeks ago when Manchester United trailed Newcastle United 0-2 at half time of the final Premier League game before the international break.

Rumours had been rampant that Jose Mourinho was on the brink of being sacked and the atmosphere turned pretty toxic inside Old Trafford.

My stand is the East and things turned from shock to anger through the course of the first half, but importantly that anger has tended to be focused on the board and especially 'Dick 'Ed Woodward' who looks to be the main cause of a lack of investment made in the playing staff this past summer.

That is not something that will be lost on the manager, who it has been suggested leaked the rumour that he was about to be sacked, and I think it will have given Mourinho a real boost.

Coming back from 0-2 down at home to win late in the game will help, but it is always going to paper over some of the cracks and in the cold light of day it has become clear that this is going to be perhaps an even tougher season than the most negative of United fans would have imagined.

Mourinho warned this was going to be the case if he didn't get the players he wanted and it is still surprising to think Woodward didn't think Toby Alderweireld was going to be an upgrade on players like Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. However I do think Mourinho was talking from the point of view of challenging for the Premier League title and he would not be expecting Manchester United to fall out of the top four in the table.

Instead there is the feeling that even a top four place is going to be tough to achieve for the club with the current group they have. Unlike last season, David De Gea has not made the stunning saves to prevent Manchester United dropping points in games and the overachievement of finishing 2nd in the League table may actually have been a long term detriment to Mourinho and the club.

It certainly gave the board more optimism than they should had as they try and 'cheap' their way into the Champions League. That has almost all been eroded and things could look that much tougher by the end of this next set of games leading up to the November international break.

In that time Manchester United have to visit Chelsea, Bournemouth and Manchester City in the Premier League and all three clubs are above United in the League table. There is also a double header with Juventus to come in the Champions League and I can't help think Manchester United should have made more from the fixture list they had over the first couple of months of the season.

With that in mind it does feel the win over Newcastle United in early October is going to be little more than one of the last 'good' days under the management of Mourinho. Barring a real upturn in form I can see the pressure reaching a intolerable high by the time the next international break rolls around and I won't be surprised if the manager is gone before the end of this calendar year and perhaps as early as mid-November.

I don't really blame Jose Mourinho for the misfortunes of United as much as I do the players who are trying to exert their power much like the ones at Chelsea and Leicester City have done in recent years.

However I am not of the belief that Mourinho doesn't at least deserve some blame for how this season has begun.

Regardless of what his supporters think, I do believe his tactics are out-dated and the manager is simply not able to cope with the high press that so many clubs are playing with these days. The defence is not good enough for the way Mourinho wants to set his teams up, but the lack of cohesion in the final third between his players is on the manager.

I am not someone who looks back on the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era with rose-tinted glasses because there were a number of times when the football wasn't great, but that group of players had a winning mentality instilled in them. That allowed United to turn around games when they fell behind, but this current crop is simply not good enough and not supporting Mourinho in the transfer market just seems to be a completely baffling move from the board.

If they don't want to support him they should sack him, but instead the club is left in some kind of limbo as they continue to fall some way short of the marker set by Manchester City.

That's a gap that looks like it will only get bigger this season with 7 points already between United and what looks to be progressive rivals in Liverpool and Manchester City... And personally I only see that being a few more points bigger by the time we hit the November international break.


One reason I don't want Mourinho to be sacked is I don't want the players to feel they can down tools whenever they are upset with a manager in the future. That would be the biggest mistake in an era of mistakes made by Dick 'Ed, but the situation may be untenable if United suffer through the tough fixture list coming up over the next month.

It still feels like a matter of time before Mourinho is moved on and Manchester United will be back to square one with their haphazard recruiting, which seems to be based on tracking players Manchester City have been linked with, and also Dick 'Ed will be picking his fourth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

I do think Mourinho would have had considerably more success if he had taken over immediately after Sir Alex retired and the transition from the long-term manager into the new era may have been more comfortable. Now United fans have had to support three managers who look to have been out of their depth or past their sell by date.

So where would I go from here? If it was a short term appointment I would actually consider Arsene Wenger who could instil a positive brand of football at the very least.

However like Louis Van Gaal and Mourinho, Wenger may have seen his best days pass him by and instead I would perhaps consider Roberto Martinez as someone who could be prized away from his current team.

Diego Simeone would be a popular choice, while Antonio Conte has had success in the Premier League, but I don't see the former leaving Atletico Madrid and the latter may not want to work in the constraints that saw his time with Chelsea strained at the end.

Martinez is a manager who likes to play attacking football, although his defensive work can be questioned. However this looks to be an era when attacking football is paying off spectacularly and Martinez could employ a style where attack is the best form of defence for Manchester United.

He has experience of the Premier League in his time with Wigan Athletic and Everton and while he didn't have the best success with the latter Martinez could have learned from the mistakes he made. Importantly he has won silverware in England unlike David Moyes and the work being done with Belgium has to be respected.

I am not sure Martinez would get the excitement levels of the fans moving too much on his appointment, but the style of play will quickly erase the doubters around him. For the first time in years the football would be enjoyable and the Spaniard would be my surprise choice to take over.

The next manager has to be someone who knows the Premier League and plays the kind of football the fans are craving. Martinez does tick both boxes and I think he could have some real success with United especially with some of the young, attacking players already at the club.


Ideally this will all be a moot point and United can win at Stamford Bridge, the Vitality Stadium and at the Etihad Stadium while doing the double over Juventus in the Champions League.

I would love that to be the case.

It feels more like a hope than a real belief though and the pressure could return on Mourinho immediately out of the international break if United were to lose at Stamford Bridge.

Things do need to change at Old Trafford from the very top of the club, but at this time it is the manager who is going to be the scapegoat for the performances and it does feel the Newcastle United win only papered over the obvious cracks.

Hopefully Jose Mourinho is going into the November international break with some real positive momentum behind him, but the manager looks unhappy, the players look lost around the tactics and the fans are getting more and more irritated by the performances of the board.

It all feels toxic around United despite the win last time out and I can only see it all coming to a head in the weeks coming up.

NBA Picks October 2018 (October 16-21)

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to compete in the NBA Finals back in June and after a long regular season following by a month of Play Off Basketball we did get to the Finals that most were looking forward to seeing.

Once again it was the Warriors who turned out to be far too good for the Cavaliers and they will go into the 2018/19 season as the favourites to win a fourth title in five season with a three-peat the expectation of the layers and the fans.

Getting out of the Western Conference may be the toughest task for the Warriors when it comes to repeating as Champions with the Houston Rockets a big threat at the top of the Conference. However I think Golden State are playing with the motivation to give the Oracle Arena the send off they want by adding another Championship before moving to San Francisco in the 2019/20 season and the Warriors look like this group of players are going to provide one more big effort together before potentially splitting apart in the next off-season.

Rumours abound that Kevin Durant and potentially Klay Thompson could leave the Warriors at the end of the season and there is no doubt the Warriors would be significantly weakened if that happens.

And perhaps that leaves the door open for the LA Lakers to fill the void at the top of the Western Conference.


The big news this summer was the decision made by LeBron James to move to the LA Lakers from the Cleveland Cavaliers which has really opened things up in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are clearly not the team to beat without James and the likes of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors will believe they are set to make it to the NBA Finals.

I do like the Celtics who will have some real depth now that so many of their players have the experiences they earned last season after injuries decimated the roster. This time around Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving are back and Boston have a young and strong looking roster that should be able to come out of the Conference.

The 76ers and Raptors will have something to say about that, but it is very clear that the Eastern Conference is nowhere near as tough as the Western Conference this upcoming season. Whoever gets through to the NBA Finals will be an underdog against the Western Conference representative, although I do think the Boston Celtics will be able to provide a real challenge for any team they face in a best of seven Series as long as they stay healthier than last season.


LeBron James signing for the Lakers was a long rumoured move, but I am not sure he is going to be able to keep his sequence of NBA Finals appearances going now. The Lakers are someway short of the very best teams in the West and the signings they have made around James looks like a ticking time bomb in the 2018/19 season.

Instead the real focus will be seeing some of the younger players improve with the presence of James around them and snapping a five year absence from the Play Offs which just wouldn't have been considered a decade ago. At the end of the season I would expect the Lakers to make some big moves to bring in at least one huge name Free Agent to complement James and the young roster and maybe they will be a lot closer to returning to Championship contention in eighteen months from now.


Finally what of my New York Knicks- well I am expecting a top five Pick in the next Draft if I am being very honest. An injury to Kristaps Porzingis could see the young player miss the entire season and losing your best player before the season tips off shows how tough it is going to be.

Next season the Knicks will have cleared some space to add one or two big time Free Agents with rumours suggesting they will be putting a big deal together for Kevin Durant who has ties with the Knicks. Maybe the team will finally get back on a positive road, but we will have to suffer through a difficult season as fans of the Knicks.


The NBA Picks will begin on Tuesday as the regular season begins and I am going to continue the idea I had from last season to split the threads into weekly picks.

This week I will cover the games from Tuesday through to Sunday and then I will have a second thread which will cover the remainder of October. Keeping the threads shorter makes it easier for the reader as far as I am concerned and that is important.


Tuesday 16th October
One of the big news stories in the United Kingdom just hours before the first tip off of the regular season was Sky Sports had purchased the rights to show games from the NBA this year.

In recent years it has been BT Sport who have owned those rights, but those lapsed and for a while it looked like League Pass would be the only way to see live Basketball this season. Now we have at least five live games per week as well as the Play Off coverage at the end of the season, although personally I will keep hold of my League Pass so I can watch the teams I want to see more often than not.


Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics Pick: There isn't much love lost between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics and the memory of the Eastern Conference Semi Final won't be far from the mind when they tip off the 2018/19 season.

Added to the intrigue is the departure of LeBron James from the Eastern Conference which means many are tipping one of these two teams to fill the void in the NBA Finals that is likely left by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Last season the Boston Celtics did overachieve when you think big Free Agent signing Gordon Hayward was lost in the very first game. Kyrie Irving was another who missed the Play Offs but I like the experience the younger players would have earned with their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they have both Irving and Hayward back and a real depth to their squad which makes the Celtics the favourites to win the Eastern Conference.

The key for the Celtics is going to be adjusting to having a 'Big Three' with Irving, Hayward and Al Horford. While those players will be huge for Boston you also don't want to take away the minutes from some of the talented youngsters, although that won't be an issue early in the season when Hayward is being eased back into the starting line up on a minutes restriction.

Philadelphia took a big step in their development last season with the likes of Ben Simmons showing they are going to be a star in this League in the years ahead. It was a long 'process' for the 76ers but they are reaping the rewards now and will be looking to make a statement on the opening day of the 2018/19 season by knocking off an Eastern Conference rival on the road.

The 4-1 loss to Boston in the Play Offs would have hurt the 76ers who had been favoured in the first four games of that Series. The 76ers did win 50 regular season games last season which suggests they will be at the top of the Eastern Conference standings again, but the Celtics have a very strong recent record against Philadelphia and I think that could continue on the opening night.

Boston look deeper and being at home should give them the motivation to come through with a statement win to open the season. The mentality could be a bit different with Boston favoured unlike how it was in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, but they are 4-1 against the spread in their last five home games against the 76ers and they have won fourteen of the last sixteen regular season games between these teams.


Oklahoma City Thunder @ Golden State Warriors Pick: It is 'ring night' at the Oracle Arena which will be hosting Golden State Warriors basketball for the final time this season before the team moves to a new venue in San Francisco. This Arena has been one of the loudest in the NBA, even during the Golden State lean years, and the Warriors players have made it clear they want to make it a memorable year for the loyal fans who have been behind them over the last forty years.

Creating a dynasty will also be on the minds of the Golden State Warriors who will be looking for a fourth title in five years as they go for the 'Three-peat' having swept the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Championship in June.

The core of the team are together for this season and the signing of DeMarcus Cousins gives the Warriors another crease to their game. Cousins may not be available until he recovers from an achilles injury that prematurely ended his season last January, but this Golden State team looks strong in every position.

Any talk about Free Agency with both Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant expected to test that market in the summer of 2019 will be put aside as the Warriors look to seal their place in the NBA Finals out of a tough Western Conference.

One of their rivals could be the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they look weakened for the opening night game at the Oracle Arena. Andre Roberson has been ruled out and it looks like Russell Westbrook is going to be extremely limited at best which makes it tough to see the Thunder staying with Golden State in this game.

Th Thunder have to show a little more dynamism in the way their approach the Offensive side of the ball if they are going to get closer to the top teams in the Western Conference. They can be accused of being a little predictable and I do wonder if they are going to be able to stick with Golden State when the Warriors have what has become a patented surge during games.

Steve Kerr is looking for better Defensively from his Warriors than what they showed in the pre-season, while Durant has warned of not being distracted by the celebrations of the last title they won. The Warriors do look stronger than the Thunder going into the opening day though and I do like Golden State to find a way to pull away and cover this big number.

Golden State should be inspired by Durant to face his former team and the Warriors are 6-1 against the spread in the last seven at home against Oklahoma City. Overall it is 9-2 against the spread in the last eleven in favour of Golden State and they look a little healthier than Oklahoma City going into this game which means I favour them to produce a big win.


Wednesday 17th October
I am going to take a watching brief with the NBA games to be played on Wednesday as the majority of teams begin their new seasons.

I was tempted by a couple of teams, namely Cleveland and Sacramento with the points, but I am not completely convinced with those selections and so I will miss out on Wednesday and keep an eye on the way things go.

Check in on Thursday to see if there are any selections to be made from the three games set to be played.


Thursday 18th October
The underdogs have made a very strong start to the NBA season, but that is perhaps not a big surprise considering it is so early in the 2018/19 campaign and teams are still finding their feet.

Both teams I name checked yesterday would have come back as winners, but it is best to not worry too much about that now. I simply won't make a play unless I am completely happy with things and Cleveland only covered thanks to a late foul and Toronto deciding to run out the clock.

The underdogs could do well in the first two games to be played on Thursday, but I have a favourite selected for the late game.


LA Lakers @ Portland Trail Blazers Pick: Showtime is back in Los Angeles after the Lakers made the biggest splash of the summer by bringing in LeBron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It wasn't a surprising move in terms of what being in Los Angeles will give to James who has started his own production company and moving into movies with Space Jam 2 lined up for LeBron, taking over from Michael Jordan in the lead role.

However from a playing point of view it is a surprise that James did not think about joining a roster like the one that has been built in Boston or Philadelphia. LeBron James has been a feature of the NBA Finals over the last decade from his two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers that sandwiched a run with the Miami Heat, but the LA Lakers have missed the Play Offs for five years in a row and look some way away from challenging the very best teams in the NBA.

Moving into the Western Conference for the first time is a huge challenge for LeBron whose teams have dominated the Eastern Conference. While there are some challengers in that Conference, there is no doubt at all that the West is far more powerful and the Lakers look a distance behind the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.

What would constitute a success for James and the Lakers? I think simply making the Play Offs would be huge, but this is a team with a mix of veterans and youth who have to learn to play together. It is definitely going to take time for the Lakers to find their groove, although the public are backing them heavily with the points in their opening game of the season.

I am going to oppose that when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers who are looking to rebound from an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA First Round of the Play Offs. They have kept their key players together though and that should mean the Trail Blazers are more likely to be settled into their roles in time for this one.

The attention may be on James and his first competitive game for the Lakers, but the building should be emotional as Portland play for the first time since Paul Allen passed away. Allen changed the fortunes of this franchise and you know the Portland players are going to be looking to play hard in memory of their owner.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum should be able to dictate things from the back court in this one as they expose some of the holes in the Lakers roster which really isn't as strong outside of LeBron as they would like. Some of the younger players will be inspired by having The King on their team, but Portland will be playing with plenty of motivation and will be looking to introduce James to the tough Western Conference.

Portland are 22-9 against the spread in their last thirty-one home games against the Lakers and the favourite is 10-3 against the spread in the last thirteen in this series. With an emotional building behind them, Portland will feel they can extend their 19-6-1 record against the spread from their last twenty-six home games and I will back the Trail Blazers to get the better of the Lakers in this opening game for both teams.


Friday 19th October
The LeBron James era in Los Angeles began with a loss on Thursday which means he has now made his debut for a new team four times and lost each time despite a strong personal performance.

It will take time for the Lakers to really know how to get the best out of James and his supporting cast and I do think this team will look to make a big splash in Free Agency next season when they can be considered a genuine title contender.

This season may be all about improving the young players on the roster and getting some Play Off experience, but even that is going to be difficult in the tough Western Conference. LeBron is right, it will take time for the team to gel together, but the West doesn't offer many easy nights and I think the Lakers will struggle out of the gate and will need teams to have poor days from the field to win games.


Charlotte Hornets @ Orlando Magic Pick: These two teams had contrasting opening game performances with the Charlotte Hornets coming up short against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic beating Florida rivals the Miami Heat. Both the Hornets and Magic were underdogs in their opening games, but more is expected from the Charlotte Hornets who are expected to challenge for Play Off spots in the weaker Eastern Conference.

That may be the goal for the Orlando Magic too if Steve Clifford is to be believed. The Head Coach believes he has the talent on the roster to surpass the expectations of Orlando having a transitional season, but this is a young team and that is going to come with the ups and downs that young players will have in a long season.

Clifford will have some extra motivation in this game as he faces his former team the Charlotte Hornets. He will look to inspire his players in a second home game of the season, but it will mean getting to grips with Kemba Walker who scored 41 points in the opening game defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Last season turned into an underachievement for the Hornets but they are not ready to reset on their current roster as highlighted by keeping hold of Walker. He could be a potential trade target if Charlotte are struggling in February and it was their 36-46 regular season record that saw the firing of Steve Clifford.

Tony Parker has been signed by Charlotte to offer a winning mentality to the group and he was a part of the huge comeback effort a couple of days ago against the Bucks. There was a disappointment that the Hornets allowed themselves to fall into a big hole before fighting back as they clawed back from a 20 point deficit in the Fourth Quarter to lose by a point.

That effort needs to be replicated from the off in this one and I do think the Hornets can bounce back against an opponent they have dominated in recent meetings. The arrival of Clifford as Head Coach of the Magic will help them prepare for this game with his knowledge of the Charlotte roster, but a young team will find it tough to find consistency and Orlando are 18-39 against the spread following a win.

Charlotte are 8-1 against the spread in the last nine against Orlando and they are 12-3 against the spread in their last fifteen in Orlando. I expect them to come out with more urgency from the off in this one and Charlotte can edge out Orlando in this one.


Cleveland Cavaliers @ Minnesota Timberwolves Pick: Usually you would expect a home opener in a new season to be accompanied with fanfare and excitement, especially when it involves a team who made the Play Offs for the first time in thirteen seasons. The Minnesota Timberwolves also ended with their first winning season in that time at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, but a tough summer means there is going to be a slightly toxic atmosphere inside Target Center.

Jimmy Butler demanded a trade from the Timberwolves with accusations that his team-mates are not interested in winning. A couple of trades have since fallen apart and that means Butler remains on the roster with the fans ready to serenade him with boos in the home opener.

It is a stunning turn of events in Minnesota with the best player and the fans at odds with one another and it is clear that Butler is not getting along with the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Those two are likely to be the key pieces that Minnesota will look to build around, but the situation at this team won't be resolved until Butler is moved on.

Minnesota came up just short against the San Antonio Spurs in their opening game, but they have to ignore what is happening in the stands and try and focus on their basketball.

They can do that against the Cleveland Cavaliers who were blown out by the Toronto Raptors in their first game since LeBron James opted out of his contract and moved to the LA Lakers. There isn't much expectation in Cleveland and the pressure is on Kevin Love, a former Timberwolves player, to go back to the kind of basketball which made him such an attractive trade to the Cavaliers five years ago.

It will be tough on Love because the Cavaliers look like a roster that is going to have a hard time barring some big trades during the course of the season. Defensively they look like a team that will find it hard to shut down opponents and their shooting is not going to be as effective as when LeBron was playing for them and opening things up around the court.

Cleveland are 10-21 against the spread in their last thirty-one games against the Western Conference, while they have a miserable 14-40-2 record against the spread when losing a game by double digits. The recent visits to Minnesota have been better, but I think the Cavaliers will struggle to keep up with the scoring power of the home team.

There is the doubt of what the atmosphere is going to do to the players and whether they will wilt under that pressure. However Jimmy Butler is not someone who is going to be bothered by what people perceive him to be and I think he can lead the Timberwolves to a big home win and give the fans something to smile about as they leave the first game at the Target Center this season.

MY PICKS: 16/10 Boston Celtics - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
16/10 Golden State Warriors - 12.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)
18/10 Portland Trail Blazers - 3 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
19/10 Charlotte Hornets - 2 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
19/10 Minnesota Timberwolves - 8 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

October Update: 2-1, + 0.82 Units (3 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)

Boxing Picks 2018- Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez (October 13th)

The World Boxing Super Series Season One finished with a flourish a couple of weeks ago as Callum Smith fulfilled the potential most believed he had by knocking out George Groves and becoming the Number 1 Super Middleweight in the World.

The doors have been opened for Smith who should be involved in some big fights in that Division over the next eighteen months before perhaps moving up to Light-Heavyweight where there are more big fights waiting for the Brit.

Much like Oleksandr Usyk, Callum Smith will have seen how big the World Boxing Super Series could be for his career and that will mean a lot for all those Boxers who have entered Season Two which began last week.

Naoya Inouhe opened the new Season with a fantastic Knock Out of Juan Carlos Payano and I do think there are going to be more memorable fights in a tournament that has captured the imagination of the Boxing fans. My only issue at the moment is that there hasn't been a confirmed UK company that will be featuring Season Two of what had been a brilliant Season One, although that could change prior to Josh Taylor and Ryan Burnett's opening bouts in early November.


There is a long-term problem with the World Boxing Super Series in whether they can continue to put together the kind of fields they have over the last twelve months. Some have asked for the Heavyweights to be involved, but the top tier of that Division would not participate in my opinion, while other top Divisions like the Welterweights and Middleweights are also not likely to bring the very best together in the field.

For now I am just loving the kind of fights we are getting to see and the potential fights that are going to be set up over the next twelve months thanks to a tournament that has exceeded all expectations that fans may have had for the World Boxing Super Series.


I didn't have any Boxing Picks last weekend because I didn't really get to look at the markets for the fights that were taking place in Chicago and Yokohama. I did watch the cards and I am surprised that Jessie Vargas is being placed in an IBF eliminator off the back of two draws.

It was a close fight that he would have nicked last week if not for a flash Knock Down in the final thirty seconds of the Twelfth Round, but I am not sure that is enough for Vargas to potentially have an opportunity to take on Errol Spence Jr.

Jarrell Miller did what was expected against a veteran whose best days are long behind him, while I was very impressed with Callum Johnson even in a losing effort.

There is a great interview in the Red News, a Manchester United fanzine, with Johnson and I do think he comes against after becoming the first fighter to put Artur Bertebiev down.


This week we have a couple of decent cards in England and Russia before seeing arguably the Number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world Terence Crawford in his first defence of his WBO Welterweight Title.

Hopefully Crawford will be lining up some huge Unification fights over the next year, but his focus will be first to get through this defence with a statement win over an unbeaten challenger.

Two more World Boxing Super Series Quarter Final bouts also take place this weekend and it should be a fun night for Boxing fans.

David Allen vs Samir Nebo

David Allen was a big outsider in his last fight in July against Nick Webb, but he came through for me by winning with an impressive Knock Out.

It was a fun that has just got the juices flowing again for Allen who is looking to at least become a British Champion over the next twelve months.

I do think that is possible for him and as much as I like Allen as a character I am also aware of the limitations he has. Allen is tough, rugged and willing to come forward and take chances, but he will be the first to admit there is a clear ceiling for his skill levels and he will do everything he can to at least reach that point in his career while making a decent earning for himself.

This isn't much more than a stay busy fight for Allen who is looking for a much bigger name when he is expected back out in December, potentially on the Dillian Whyte undercard again.

Samir Nebo is back in the ring eight months after being Knocked Out by Tom Schwarz, but the veteran won't be expected to really make a big impact in this one. It is his first fight outside of Germany in five years and I think Allen is going to walk him down and make sure he puts out a statement with a fairly comfortable win.

I am simply not sure how much resistance Allen will face and I can see him getting this done in the first half of the scheduled Ten Rounder. Allen may be 6-4-1 in his last eleven fights, but all of his six wins have come in the first Four Rounds and it looks a big price for the White Rhino to extend that sequence with another early stoppage in this bout.

Lewis Ritson vs Francesco Patera

For his fans this may not be a surprise, but for most Lewis Ritson has really announced himself on the British Boxing scene over the last twelve months beginning with a huge win over Robbie Barrett to win the British Lightweight Title.

I have really enjoyed watching Ritson fight with some immense power destroying the likes of Joe Murray and Scott Cardle before doing the same against Paul Hyland Jr which means he wins the British Title outright.

It is no surprise to see him headlining a card in his home town Newcastle on Saturday and the step up has now been made to European level. The World Lightweight scene is a tough one but Ritson does feel he can go further and perhaps his dream to fight at St James' Park will be against someone like Vasyl Lomachenko.

Ok, I am looking too far ahead there, but I have been that impressed by Ritson over the last year although I do think it is going to be interesting to see if his power transfers up to the tougher challengers that he will face at the European level.

Ritson is fighting for the European Lightweight Title on Saturday, but no one should be thinking Francesco Patera is going to provide a pass to another belt.

Patera doesn't have a great record with his losses to Sean Dodd and Yvan Mendy likely going to encourage Ritson. He has yet to be stopped though and that is the big question for Ritson who has won his last eight fights inside the distance.

The punching power Ritson has displayed suggests he can, but I am not so sure that he will continue the run of early Knock Outs in this bout. The Geordie himself has admitted he feels this will go longer than his recent fights and he fancies a late stoppage and I am not really going to argue against that.

At some point I feel Ritson will get close enough and will hurt Patera to the body and it may be the referee or corner who step in and take their man out of the fire. I expect the power to start telling in the mid-Rounds and then Ritson should move into another gear and really start breaking down his opponent.

Patera has looked durable enough to be given respect and so a small interest on Ritson getting this done in the Championship Rounds is my pick.

Ruslan Fayfer vs Andrew Tabiti

There are three Divisions in the World Boxing Super Series in Season Two and fans will be hoping the Cruiserweight boxers can provide the same fireworks as those in Season One did.

It might not be the same class of field as last season but this is still a decent tournament which opens up with Ruslan Fayfer taking on Andrew Tabiti in Russia.

Both fighters are unbeaten which means they will both come in with confidence although it is Tabiti who has arguably the better wins on his record even if that is not by a wide margin.

This is a heavy hitting Division and both of these fighters can hit hard with decent Knock Out percentages in their unbeaten start to their career.

The winner of this one will be hoping they can begin to make a big name for themselves in the Boxing world and I am leaning towards Tabiti in this one.

While both are making a step up compared to their usual level of opponent, I do think Tabiti may have the better skills which should see him able to set up his shots a little better. That could be the key in what could develop into something of a fire fight and I think it will be the slightly better skills that allows Tabiti to come away with a win on the road.

Ruslan Fayfer is at home and is unbeaten so he won't go quietly, but he has more to prove and I am going to back Tabiti to find the stoppage at some point in this Quarter Final.

Zolani Tete vs Mikhail Aloyan

If the four favourites in the Bantamweight Division of the World Boxing Super Series are all able to progress as expected then we could be in line for two amazing Semi Final bouts as well as the Final in a fascinating tournament.

Last week Naoya Inouhe made a big statement with a blow out win to move through to the Semi Final and Zolani Tete will have been aware of what happened and look to do the same.

It may be a tough ask against Mikhail Aloyan who is being fast tracked on the professional circuit having been an amateur enjoying real success up to the age of 28. The Russian has won all four fights and his last three opponents had a combined record of 46-1-2 as pros before being beaten by Aloyan.

However it has not been the Vasyl Lomachenko domination of opponents that Aloyan would have hoped for and he has needed a Split Decision to win his last two fights. Now he also steps up to take on a World Champion who has not lost a fight in over six years and who has really built some momentum under the guidance of Frank Warren.

The highlight reel Knock Out of Siboniso Gonya really brought Tete to the attention of the United Kingdom public and his last five fights have been in that country with the hope of a Unification with Ryan Burnett high on the wish list of the fighters and the public.

Tete has also shown he is more than a puncher though and his height and reach means he can be a real problem for others in the Bantamweight Division. He is considerably taller than Aloyan and I think Tete is going to work his attributes in this one and make sure he breaks down his unbeaten opponent.

We can't really tell what kind of punch resistance Aloyan will have in this one, but he will need to show some of that against a big hitter like Tete. Ultimately I think the favourite is going to look to just pick his shots and make sure he uses his reach and height to control Aloyan and win this by a comfortable margin on the cards.

Making a statement like Inouhe did last week will be on the mind of Tete, but there are some big fights ahead and I can see him building the lead on the cards and then being told by his corner to not make any mistakes. The cards have been needed to see Tete win two of his last three fights and I can see a 118-111 kind of score for the South African to make it through to the Semi Final.

Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr

It started with a clash back in February when Jose Benavidez Jr confronted Terence Crawford and accused him of 'ducking' a potential fight with him.

That really came out of left field to be honest and since then Crawford has won the WBO Welterweight Title by stopping Jeff Horn before getting ready to make his first defence against Benavidez Jr.

Like Crawford, I am not convinced Benavidez Jr has done anything to really deserve a shot at the World Title and I am also pretty convinced that 'Bud' is going to win this one fairly comprehensively.

There are attributes to like with Benavidez Jr who is taller and rangier than Crawford but all I see that doing is making the pound for pound top five fighter just have to figure things out in the early Rounds.

After Four I would expect Crawford to start upping the tempo and really begin to pick his punches as he adjusts to the range that Benavidez Jr is offering.

Crawford looked very angry at the weigh in and even threw a punch at Benavidez Jr, but I don't think he will lose his composure in this one. While his opponent feels he is in his head, I think Crawford is playing it up for the cameras and I am not convinced he threw the punch wholeheartedly on Friday and instead is just building some interest around the fight.

I am expecting Crawford to pick apart his bigger opponent during the middle of this fight once he gets to grip with the distance between them. As much as Benavidez Jr is an unbeaten fighter, he has not been at this level and I think there are levels between the two which will show up.

At around Round Seven or Round Eight I expect Crawford to start really beating up Benavidez Jr where it will become unwatchable and the corner or referee will have to step in. It might last a Round or two more than that, but I am expecting Crawford to really begin to put in some nasty work as he makes Benavidez Jr pay for some of the comments ahead of this fight and the American can then look to big time Unification fights going into 2019.

MY PICKS: David Allen to Win Between 1-5 @ 2.75 Sky Bet (2 Units)

Lewis Ritson to Win Between 9-12 @ 5.50 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Andrew Tabiti to Win by KO, TKO, Disqualification @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)

Zolani Tete to Win by Decision/Technical Decision @ 2.75 Paddy Power (2 Units)

Terence Crawford to Win Between 7-12 @ 2.75 Ladbrokes (2 Units)

Boxing 2018: 28-48, + 16.94 Units (116 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)

College Football Week 7 Picks 2018 (October 13th)

The College Football season hits the halfway mark of the regular season in Week 7 and we are beginning to see the pretenders separated from the contenders when it comes to potential Play Off places.

The Big 12 is likely going to have a one win Champion and there is every reason to believe two teams from the SEC would be invited in if both Georgia and Alabama win out and meet in the SEC Championship Game.

Ohio State and Clemson Tigers look solid shouts for the Play Off if they can remain unbeaten while the Pac-12 already looks like it will be missing out.

The outsider at the moment is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who would surely get the call if they remain unbeaten. Their chances would improve tenfold if they win out and the Michigan Wolverines can win the Big Ten Conference, but the Fighting Irish will feel confident with a very winnable schedule left before the final week game at the USC Trojans.

None of these teams will be looking too far ahead as things can change very, very quickly in the College Football ranks with one defeat knocking teams way back down the line. All the Head Coaches of the chasing teams will know that too and it is imperative they keep young players focused and with their feet on the ground.


It was a mixed bag for the College Football Picks in Week 6, but I didn't get a lot of luck with some late scores preventing more winners being put on the board. Hopefully that won't be an issue in Week 7 as the season continues at a pace.


Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores Pick: The SEC may be dominated by the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, but the Florida Gators can still play their part in the SEC East if they are able to win before heading into their Bye Week. The Gators are in the first year under new Head Coach Dan Mullen and they have recovered from a surprise defeat to the Kentucky Wildcats with a couple of upsets of their own having beaten the Mississippi State Bulldogs and LSU Tigers over the last couple of weeks.

Mullen has been making it clear all week that he is not letting his players rest on their laurels after the impressive wins they have achieved over the last two weeks. The Head Coach has reminded the players that those wins won't count for as much they potentially could if the Gators were to drop this game with the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The 'World's Largest Cocktail Party' game with Georgia is on deck, but that is in two weeks time which should mean the Gators are able to focus on playing one of the weaker teams in the SEC. Vanderbilt are going to need to win half of their remaining six games if they are going to be Bowl eligible, but they have been blown out in their two SEC games played in 2018 and Derek Mason might be under pressure as the Head Coach here if he cannot guide Vanderbilt back into a Bowl at the end of this season.

The spread is a tough one to like when you think South Carolina visited Nashville and were favoured by five points fewer than Florida. The Gators are also in a different mental position having won back to back games as the underdog and now being asked to cover more than a Touchdown to win here but I do still like them especially with a Bye Week to come between this game and the one with the Bulldogs that could determine the winner of the SEC East.

Florida should be able to establish the run against the Vanderbilt Defensive Line which has struggled all season and not just when they have faced SEC teams. That should mean Feleipe Franks is able to make more plays out of the Quarter Back position although Dan Mullen is likely going to ask Franks to continue taking what the Defenses have been giving up and instead play a mistake free game which is propelled by the run game.

The Commodores Defensive unit have just slipped in recent games and that is going to mean there is a real pressure on Kyle Shurmur to continue to show the strong form at Quarter Back that he has for the majority of the 2018 season. However Shurmur is going to be facing another strong SEC Defense in Week 7 and Vanderbilt have not been able to score more than 14 points in either of their SEC games so far this season which has to be a concern for Mason and the team.

Vanderbilt could have some success establishing the run which may make things a little easier for Shurmur. One of the big problems the Gators have had in 2018 is on the Defensive Line which has been surprisingly bullied more than would have been expected from a strong SEC Defensive unit. That could give the Commodores the chance to have more success Offensively than they did against the Bulldogs and Gamecocks, although eventually I would expect the Florida Defense to make one or two big plays that helps turn the game in their favour for good.

The Gators have won four in a row in the series overall and they have a very strong record when visiting this part of Tennessee. Florida are 4-1 against the spread in their last five visits to Vanderbilt and the road team is now 8-2 against the spread in the last ten in this series. I will look for Florida to run the ball well and look after the ball a little better than Vanderbilt and that should lead to a solid road win for Dan Mullen's overachievers.


Iowa Hawkeyes @ Indiana Hoosiers Pick: Mistakes made in the loss to the Wisconsin Badgers is the only reason the Iowa Hawkeyes are not unbeaten going into Week 7 and their chances of making the Big Ten Championship Game have been reduced by that defeat. However there are no signs of heads dropping as the Hawkeyes blew out the Minnesota Golden Gophers coming out of their Bye Week and now Iowa will be favoured to beat the Indiana Hoosiers.

It has been a tough start to the Big Ten for Indiana who have lost to Michigan State and Ohio State already in Conference play, but their non-Conference performances means Indiana are a couple of wins away from being Bowl eligible.

Focus could be an issue for the home team who play Iowa as the meat in an Ohio State and Penn State sandwich.

Those two games are clearly going to bring up the enthusiasm more than facing the Iowa Hawkeyes, but the Hoosiers will also recognise the qualities their visitors bring to the field. The Iowa Defensive unit have been playing at a high level and the Defensive Line have shown a capability of shutting down the run game which could make it very difficult for Indiana to stay out of third and long situations in this game.

Indiana won't move away from the run as it opens things up for Peyton Ramsey at Quarter Back, but the Iowa Defensive Line have been in strong form in limiting teams to under 3 yards per carry over the course of the 2018 season. They are unlikely to allow too many holes on the ground which means Ramsey will be asked to make some big plays with his arm.

Ramsey helped the Hoosiers stay with Ohio State last week before falling away and his performance will give him confidence against the Iowa Secondary. However the Indiana Offensive Line have not offered the kind of protection for Ramsey they would have liked and this Hawkeyes team have a strong pass rush which should be able to create havoc in the backfield if the Defensive Line is able to shut down the run for most intents and purposes.

Mistakes are going to be a big key to the outcome of this game and Ramsey has been guilty of a couple of ill-advised throws. He is facing a ball hawking Iowa Secondary who helped create four turnovers in the win over the Golden Gophers in Week 6 and that has to be a concern for Indiana.

It is also a concern for Iowa considering the amount of times they have given the ball away in their last couple of games as they have stepped up their level to take on Big Ten opposition. Turnovers cost them a chance of upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers, and the two given up to Minnesota last week upset Head Coach Kirk Ferentz who is looking to see a cleaner game all around.

Like Indiana, Iowa could find it hard to establish the run in this one but they will be encouraged by the passing lanes they have seen the Hoosiers give up since moving in their own Big Ten schedule. The Hawkeyes should get a little more out of the ground game than Indiana, while Quarter Back Nate Stanley is coming off a four Touchdown outing and now faces a Secondary who have given up almost 300 passing yards per game in their three Big Ten games.

Turnovers feel like they will play a big part of this game and it does make it a little tougher to read. I do think Indiana are not in a great spot playing this game between two huge Divisional games against Ohio State and Penn State, while Iowa have a strong recent record against Indiana with six wins from the last seven in this series.

The favourite is 5-2 against the spread in the last seven games in the series and Iowa are 13-2-1 against the spread in their last sixteen games as the road favourite. Indiana's home loss to Michigan State saw them drop to 1-3 against the spread as the home underdog under Head Coach Tom Allen and I will back the Hawkeyes to win and cover on the road after having one less turnover than their hosts.


Louisville Cardinals @ Boston College Eagles Pick: The Louisville Cardinals have won at least eight games in each of the past six years including the last four under Head Coach Bobby Petrino, but 2018 has been a tough season at the halfway mark for them. Losing Lamar Jackson to the NFL and seeing only four of the Defensive starters return meant it was likely to be a difficult season, but the 0-3 record in the ACC Conference has been below even shallow expectations.

That record has dropped Louisville to 2-4 for the season which means they need to win four of their remaining six games to be Bowl eligible. There are three winnable home games left on the schedule, but the Cardinals are going to have to find an upset on the road to reach that mark and prevent a first losing season since 2009.

Petrino has been fighting his corner this week, but the Head Coach will be feeling some of the pressure that comes after the blow out loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Defensive Line has been a particular disappointment for the Cardinals and that was before the Yellow Jackets pounded them on the ground in Week 6 and it is something Louisville will have to fix if they are going to beat Boston College.

The Eagles have dropped two of their last three games and they are 1-1 in the ACC Conference this season but on course for a fifth winning season in six years under Head Coach Steve Addazio. Realistically Boston College will be looking for a win in this one to make sure they can hit the six wins they need to become Bowl eligible as they finish the season with five opponents who don't have a losing record going into Week 7.

AJ Dillon missed the loss at NC State for Boston last week but he will be desperate to return against the Cardinals who he hammered on the ground in 2017. The Running Back had 272 yards on the ground with four Touchdowns in the Boston College road win over Louisville in 2017 and Dillon will know the Defensive Line has struggled which suggests he could have a huge impact in this one too.

Everyone knows the Eagles will be looking to pound the rock as they don't want Anthony Brown to do much more than manage the game. He hasn't played that well in recent games, but Brown might not have to do a lot if Louisville's Defensive Line struggle as they have all season in preventing teams from establishing the run.

It will be the opposite way around for Louisville who have simply not been able to run the ball as well as they would have liked without duel threat Quarter Back Lamar Jackson in the backfield. They are facing a tough Boston College Defensive Line who have shown improvement at stopping the run with 4 yards per carry given up over the course of the season.

Jawon Pass has taken over at Quarter Back and it is apt that he is successful throwing the ball through the air. The Eagles have given up almost 300 passing yards per game across their last three games and so Pass will believe he can have a decent outing although there are a couple of issues for him to deal with.

The first of those is the impressive pass rush Boston College have put together and they have also found some big plays out of the Secondary who can turn the ball over. Pass is not being protected by the Offensive Line as well as he would have liked and a young signal caller is liable to making mistakes which could be a key reason Boston College are able to take control of this game.

The Cardinals are 4-3 against the spread as the road underdog under Bobby Petrino, but they look short of confidence and I think Boston College control the clock and the ball. They could produce a couple of key turnovers to swing this game in their favour and I will back the Eagles to cover a big number at home in Week 7.


Pittsburgh Panthers @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick: Any chance the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have of making the College Football Play Off will depend on them running the table and then looking to oust a Conference Champion or two. Notre Dame will be very much aware of the pressures of having to win every game they play but the feeling will be that they have gotten through the toughest portion of the schedule.

Complacency could be the biggest opponent for Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the weeks ahead and they are a big favourite to see off the Pittsburgh Panthers in Week 7.

There have been a couple of under-par efforts from the Fighting Irish but they have gotten through those games and looked much better in dismissing Stanford and Virginia Tech in their last couple of games.

Dexter Williams was the key for the Fighting Irish in the second half against the Hokies and the Running Back could easily back up his big effort with another in Week 7. This week Williams is going to be running against a Pittsburgh Defensive Line who have given up 4.9 yards per carry on the season and I do think Williams is going to have a big game and ease any pressure Quarter Back Ian Book may be feeling.

Book has taken over from Brandon Wimbush at Quarter Back and for the most part he has been very effective although still having some teething issues in his first prolonged time as the starting Quarter Back for Notre Dame. There should be time to make some big plays for Book, especially if Williams is going to get the run established as expected, and the Quarter Back should have success against a Secondary who have given up almost 280 passing yards per game in their last three.

The Pittsburgh Panthers have been blown out by the Penn State Nittany Lions and UCF Knights this season and it will be very difficult Defensively to slow down this Notre Dame Fighting Irish Offensive unit.

At least Pittsburgh will be coming in with confidence having beaten the Syracuse Orange in Week 6 and that means they are back to 3-3 in 2018 and also 2-1 in the ACC. The Panthers can put in a big effort ahead of the Bye Week but much is going to depend on the battle in the trenches as the Panthers try to establish the run against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Line which has held teams to 3.4 yards per carry in 2018.

It won't stop Head Coach Pat Narduzzi from dialling up his rushing plays and perhaps even bring in some misdirection to keep the Fighting Irish on their toes. The importance of being able to run the ball is magnified by the struggles Pittsburgh are having in find an effective Quarter Back and they are going to find whoever lines up behind Center being put under pressure from the Notre Dame pass rush.

There are some solid trends in this series which are in favour of Pittsburgh, but they will need Notre Dame to be off their game to extend those. The Fighting Irish have not covered double digits as a home favourite in any of their last four games in that situation which is a concern too, but they look to be matching up with Pittsburgh very well and I think the road to the Play Offs have begun to look clear enough that Brian Kelly will demand his players to keep impressing the Play Off Committee.

If Notre Dame's Defensive Line can win up front like I anticipate, they can lay down a marker by producing a big win in this game.


Washington Huskies @ Oregon Ducks Pick: At this stage of the regular season every team will still believe they can achieve their goals, but for the Pac-12 Conference it may be a big week in determining whether they still have a realistic chance of sending a team to the College Football Play Off.

There are only two teams with an unbeaten record within the Conference and one of those is the Washington Huskies. However the Huskies have already been beaten by the Auburn Tigers in the 2018 season and they need to run the table if they have a realistic chance of making the Play Off because a two loss team is simply not going to be picked by the Committee.

The Oregon Ducks only have one loss on the season too, but it is far less forgivable to lose to the Stanford Cardinal than the Auburn Tigers. Oregon won't be worrying about their Conference chances of having a Play Off team and instead can move to 2-1 in the Pac-12 North Division which will give them a chance of making the Championship Game.

Oregon bounced back from the loss to Stanford by beating the California Golden Bears in Week 5 and they are coming in off a Bye Week which makes them dangerous. Justin Herbert leads the Offensive unit and is considered a potential high pick in the next NFL Draft so this is the kind of game that many Scouts will be watching with a keen interest.

Part of the reason for that is Herbert is going up against a Huskies Defensive unit that have been playing at a high level after bringing back nine starters from the 2017 team that finished with a 10-3 record. Head Coach Chris Peterson will want to take the Huskies back into the Play Offs having made it in the 2016 season and a key to this game will be seeing the Secondary trying to slow down Herbert through the air.

The game is potentially all on Herbert's arm for the Oregon Ducks because they are unlikely to be given a lot of space up front by a strong Huskies Defensive Line. Washington are impressing by holding teams to under 4 yards per carry and they will be looking to force Herbert to sink or swim through the air.

I do think Herbert will have his successes because he looks like a Quarter Back capable of playing at the next level, but there will be pressure on him if the Ducks Defensive unit can't show real improvement coming out of their Bye Week.

In 2018 Oregon have not really faced too many quality teams but the Defensive numbers are showing decline as the level of opponent picks up. The Ducks will feel they can at least limit what Myles Gaskin is able to do on the ground for Washington, but controlling Jake Browning at Quarter Back may be a bigger and tougher challenge.

Browning is able to move away from pressure, but he has not been protected by his Offensive Line as well as he would have liked. The Quarter Back should still be able to make some big plays through the air as the Ducks have given up 260 passing yards per game over their last three games and now face the best Quarter Back they would have seen in 2018.

A couple of years ago Browning dominated Oregon in this Stadium and led Washington to 70 points- it is unlikely he will lead the Huskies to that kind of total, but Browning can out-duel Justin Herbert with the superior team around him.

Washington have won the last couple of games in this series and helped the favourite improve to 14-2-1 against the spread in the last seventeen between these teams. The Huskies do have a winning record against the spread as the road favourite under Chris Peterson, while Oregon are 1-4 against the spread as the home underdog in their last five games.

The better team is the one on the road this week and I think they can cover like Stanford did here, although I don't believe Washington will need Overtime to do that. 

MY PICKS: Florida Gators - 7.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Iowa Hawkeyes - 5.5 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Boston College - 13 Points @ 1.91 Ladbrokes (1 Unit)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 21.5 Points @ 1.95 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Washington Huskies - 3.5 Points @ 1.95 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Illinois Fighting Illini + 10 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Penn State Nittany Lions - 13.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Alabama Crimson Tide - 28 Points @ 1.83 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
Virginia Tech Hokies - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Michigan Wolverines - 10 Points @ 1.95 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Shanghai Masters Tennis Picks 2018 (October 13th)

Friday has proven to be a busy enough day where I have managed to research the Tennis Picks I wanted, but I won't have time to write out any analysis for them.

This has been a strong week so far an I am looking to put an exclamation on things by securing two more positive days.


MY PICKS: Karolina Pliskova - 4.5 Games @ 1.72 Ladbrokes (2 Units)
Andrea Petkovic - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Boyle Sports (2 Units)
Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.00 William Hill (2 Units)
Borna Coric + 3.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Fred (2 Units)

Shanghai Update: 21-9, + 19.38 Units (60 Units Staked, + 32.30% Yield)