NFL Week 2 Picks 2026 (Thursday 17th September-Monday 21st September)

No one will be placing too much stock into a Week 1 performance, but there is no doubt that teams will be feeling much better at 1-0 rather than 0-1.

Week 2 offers an opportunity to bounce back, but it is also a developing season and that means the key is to avoid falling too far behind those who are going to be pushing for the Playoff.

Thursday Night Football kicks off Week 2 with a big non-Conference game, but there are plenty of good looking games to be played across the weekend.

Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills Pick: Thursday Night Football is a feature of the NFL regular season and Week 2 of the 2026 season will see the Buffalo Bills (1-0) open their new home against the Detroit Lions (1-0).

Both teams earned wins in Week 1, although they came in very different fashion.

The Buffalo Bills won on the road against the Houston Texans who are another AFC team expected to push towards the Playoff and it is all the more impressive when you think of the issues Josh Allen has had when facing Houston in the past.

New Head Coach Joe Brady has to be really happy with what he saw from the Bills Offensively, but he will also be aware that there has to be some improvement Defensively if Buffalo are finally going to crack through and reach the Super Bowl.

The Detroit Lions were bigger favourites than the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, but they needed Overtime and then a stop on a two point play to earn the victory against the New Orleans Saints. This is a team that has played well under Head Coach Dan Campbell and one that steps up when they are set as the underdog, but a short week after an Overtime game to open the season places the Lions in a difficult spot.

However, they have to be happy with the way the Offensive Line played in opening up the running lanes and the Lions are going to look to keep the Bills quiet on the sidelines by handing the ball to Jahmyr Gibbs.

Last season the Bills Defensive Line struggled to stop the run, but they have made an encouraging start to the 2026 season. This is a big test for that Line to see where they stand, but failing to stop or slow the run would open up the Secondary to be attacked by Jared Goff and the Detroit passing game.

If the Bills can rush the Quarter Back as they did last week, that will help, but the Detroit Lions should feel they can have some success in Buffalo's new home.

Of course you have to expect plenty of success from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Offensive unit.

There was little wrong with the way the Lions Defensive Line played up front against the run in the win over New Orleans, but the Secondary were banged up last season and Detroit's Defensive Backs struggled in Week 1. Allowing the Saints to put up almost 400 passing yards is not ideal preparation for the Buffalo Bills, although the Lions will feel the pass rush can get into the backfield and at least force the Quarter Back to go through his reads that much quicker than he may want.

Even then, Josh Allen and company should be comfortable moving the ball and this could end up being another shootout as was the case when the teams met in December 2024.

That ended with both teams surpassing the 40 point mark in a game played in Detroit and both Offenses have to believe they can move the ball with confidence in this Week 2 clash in 2026.

The short week should make it that much more difficult for the Defensive units to make the adjustments needed after the issues in Week 1 and that should allow Jared Goff and Josh Allen to lead their team to plenty of successful drives and these two teams may end up surpassing the total points line set.

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears Pick: Week 1 of the NFL season concluded with three NFC North teams opening at 1-0 and the Minnesota Vikings (1-0) are the reason that the Green Bay Packers were the only team that failed to open with a win.

Since then, the Detroit Lions have dropped to 1-1 and that does mean either the Vikings or the Chicago Bears (1-0) can finish up Week 2 leading the Division as the only unbeaten team (assuming this game will not finish in a tie).

The Vikings were perhaps a little fortunate that the Green Bay Packers capitulated as they did in Week 1 and they will be aware that they will need to be a lot better to beat a Chicago Bears team that have been speaking excitedly about the Offensive unit before the season had begun. An early statement was made by Caleb Williams and the Bears when scoring 59 points in a road win over 2025 NFC South Champions Carolina Panthers, while also putting up over 550 Offensive yards.

No one associated with the Bears can expect to see that kind of output every week, but the Quarter Back has been speaking confidently about the standards Chicago want to set.

They did whatever they wanted against the Carolina Panthers, but this should be a more challenging game against a Minnesota team that had focused on improving the Defensive personnel. Last week the Vikings Defensive Line were able to win at the Line of Scrimmage and prevent the Green Bay Packers from getting consistency from the run game and they will be looking to at least slow a Chicago team that were picking up huge yards on the ground.

However, Caleb Williams will have taken note of the holes that Jordan Love attacked in the Vikings Secondary and the Quarter Back can pick up from there.

Caleb Williams is likely going to be put under some pressure if the team are not able to keep him in third and manageable positions on the field, but he has shown he can move out of the pocket and continue to make plays down the field. Avoiding turnovers is key, but the Bears should be confident they can move the ball with some consistency and that will put the pressure on Minnesota to try and keep up on the scoreboard.

Brian Flores will have his Defensive unit make some plays, but they will need those turnovers to make things easier for an Offense that is going to be led by Carson Wentz rather than Kyler Murray.

A concussion has forced Murray out, but the Minnesota Vikings have an inexperienced Quarter Back coming into the lineup and one who had over 1200 passing yards with 6 Touchdown passes last season.

239 total yards were produced by the Vikings last week as they took advantage of the mistakes made by the Green Bay Packers, but that is asking a lot for that to happen again.

Carson Wentz did have a good game at Quarter Back and the Vikings have talented Receivers who will have seen the Chicago Secondary struggle to make plays last week and that will offer the road team encouragement. The Vikings can also expect a bit more balance in the Offensive play as they are expected to establish the run against a Bears Defensive Line that struggled last season and who have opened up the 2026 season by allowing the Panthers to pick up big yards on the ground.

The Bears will be playing with some revenge on their mind having lost the home opener at Soldier Field to the Minnesota Vikings last year, but they will have a lot of respect for this Divisional rival.

Nothing ever comes easy in the NFL and Chicago cannot expect to be as strong as they were in Week 1, but they may still do enough to force a couple of mistakes from this Vikings Offense and stall some drives. That may be enough to give the Bears the edge and they may just edge past this spread set to move to 2-0 in the Division.

Cleveland Browns @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick: If you know anything about Baker Mayfield, you can guarantee that he has been looking forward to this Week 2 game as soon as the schedule came out in May.

He was the incumbent Quarter Back with the Cleveland Browns (0-1) when the team decided to make a huge trade to bring in Deshaun Watson and that led to Baker Mayfield leaving the team and then ultimately end up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1). The Quarter Back has led Tampa Bay to the Playoffs in 2023 and 2024, but injuries made it very tough for Baker Mayfield in 2025, although the decision made by the Browns continues to be one that has them on the wrong side of the trade.

Both teams are looking to bounce back and Baker Mayfield vs Deshaun Watson will be leading the headlines, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a lot more competitive in the Week 1 defeat than the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns Defense may have lost Myles Garrett, but they still have a lot of quality on that side of the field, although winning games will mean needing more from the Quarter Back.

Time definitely feels like it is ticking on the Watson era at Cleveland and it would not be a huge surprise if there is a Quarter Back change during this game if he continues to struggle. Poor decisions were made in the loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars and you do have to wonder if Deshaun Watson will ever reach the levels he had shown with the Houston Texans before the controversy from his personal life ended up impacting his play on the field.

Deshaun Watson has to be better, as he will admit, but he will need support after the Offensive Line struggled in Jacksonville- that was not solely the case in pass protection, but the Browns did not open up the running lanes like the Quarter Back would have wanted and that puts all the pressure on Watson.

Failing to hold onto the ball is on Deshaun Watson, as is the Interception thrown, but there will be some opportunities for him to make plays against this Secondary. However, that will also need his supporting cast to step up and it could be a tough day again on the road for the Cleveland Browns.

They can at least point to the Defensive unit as being able to keep them in this game, but a balanced Tampa Bay approach could still keep Cleveland on their toes.

Last week the Buccaneers showed that balance against the Cincinnati Bengals, although they made too many mistakes on this side of the ball and that ultimately cost them. Cleaning those up should make things easier for the home team, although they will also want to see improvement from the Offensive Line when it comes to protecting Baker Mayfield.

Piling up the points against this Browns team will not be easy, but creating short fields would help and you just know Baker Mayfield is not going to want his team to ease off the throttle if they are in a position to score.

Cleveland cannot really be expected to be as poor as they were in Week 1, but even some improvement may not be enough to keep this game much more competitive when all is said and done. The whole of the Buccaneers team should be motivated as they bid to bounce back from an opening defeat and led by a Quarter Back with a point to prove and that should give Tampa Bay a chance to cover this wide spread.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Tennessee Titans Pick: The opening schedule for the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) looks pretty testing, but this perhaps the game that looks 'easiest' on paper and it is really important for the team to find a way to motivate themselves.

After opening with a Divisional win, the Eagles will be facing the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and then travel to London after Week 2 and that means playing in three high-profile spots. With that in mind, it can be easy for players to overlook a team like the Tennessee Titans (0-1) who finished with a 3-14 record in 2025 and who have already been beaten at home by the New York Jets.

A new Head Coach will be hoping he is going to be given some time to help turn things around for the Titans, but Robert Saleh will know he needs some positive signs to just ensure the team back him. In recent years, the Titans have not really been patient with the Head Coach employed, and back to back three win seasons will be hard to surpass considering the schedule and the Division in which they play.

Robert Saleh will need more from Cam Ward at Quarter Back if he is going to guide Tennessee to at least four wins to show some progress, but the sophomore player has to develop quickly. Last season saw some mixed performances from Ward in his rookie season, but there will be a real disappointment about the Week 1 performance from the Quarter Back who threw for just 140 yards against the Jets.

There had been some help offered by the Offensive Line when they set up to run block- the Titans will want to have more than the fourteen attempts from Week 1, but have to be encouraged by picking up almost 5 yards per game. Doing that against this Eagles Defensive Line will be challenging, especially if Cam Ward does not give Philadelphia something more to respect in the passing game.

Last week the Eagles Secondary began the season in good form and it may be difficult for Cam Ward to have a much stronger game than he managed in the loss to the Jets. One positive is that Ward may have more time in the pocket when he does step back to throw, but even that may not be enough reason to believe he can lead the Titans to a lot more successes than they had in the opening defeat.

Philadelphia will definitely be more confident in their ability to establish the run with consistency, although they have lost a key piece of the Line when Landon Dickerson was placed on IR. Those changes will perhaps take some time bedding in and that could allow the Titans to have success at the Line of Scrimmage having rebuilt that part of the Defense around Jeffery Simmons.

Despite that, the Jets were able to get things going on the ground and the Eagles will feel they still have enough about them to do the same.

Jalen Hurts can move the ball with his legs from the Quarter Back position and is still backed up by Saquon Barkley and that may keep the Eagles in front of the chains.

The Quarter Back will be aware that the passing game will be another work in progress after the Eagles traded away AJ Brown, although this whole part of the Offense can be opened up by establishing the run. DeVonta Smith is a very solid Receiver, but it is important for the Eagles to find a consistent performer opposite him if they are going to have a big season.

There should be opportunities for the Eagles to make plays in the passing game and that gives them the edge on the road.

Tennessee will be expecting a much stronger performance after the disappointing effort in Week 1, but they may not be able to get that burst from the Offensive side of the ball that will be needed to earn an upset.

Instead it is perhaps where the Titans will come up short again and that could allow the Philadelphia Eagles to win this one by around a Touchdown mark.

Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers Pick: If you were to say that one of these AFC West teams would be heading into the Week 2 Divisional clash at 1-0, most would have suggested the Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) would be that team. Instead it is the Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) who travel to the City of Angels unbeaten thanks to a comfortable success over the Miami Dolphins on the same day the Los Angeles Chargers were inexplicably losing at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Division is one of the most competitive in the NFL and so the defeat suffered by the Chargers will have really hurt.

The next four games ahead of the Bye Week will see the Los Angeles Chargers face Buffalo, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City and so there is a real pressure on the team to bounce back immediately from the disappointment of Week 1. Back to back eleven win seasons meant the Chargers came into the 2026 season with big expectations on the shoulders of the players to take the next step and have a deep impact in the Playoffs, and that does mean the team need a response.

Las Vegas will make the short journey to Los Angeles in confident mood, but this is a team that is transitioning and that means avoiding throwing Fernando Mendoza straight into action in his rookie season. He was the top Pick in the NFL Draft, but the Raiders will begin the season with Kirk Cousins at Quarter Back and new Head Coach Klint Kubiak has to be really happy with the start made by his team.

This is a big step up for the Raiders who have won seven games across the last two seasons, but who will be looking to surpass the three wins secured in 2025.

Running the ball is going to be tough against this Chargers Defensive Line and that will put a bit more pressure on Kirk Cousins, who had a much more comfortable match up last week.

It is expected that Brock Bowers will miss another game, which is a significant blow for the Raiders passing game, while it is not being disrespectful to say the team are missing a lot of standout Receivers outside of the Tight End. This did not matter against the Dolphins, but Kirk Cousins did not have to do a lot from the Quarter Back position and the veteran may find it tough to exploit the Chargers Secondary without consistent players to throw to.

Kirk Cousins made a couple of mistakes in the win over Miami, and those could be much more costly in a game like this one.

The Raiders have to be prepared to be facing a Chargers team that will have had criticism ringing in their ears following the Week 1 defeat to the Cardinals, but the home fans will expect a reaction.

Justin Herbert leads the Offensive unit that has a new Co-Ordinator in Mike McDaniel, but they did not seem to be in sync in Week 1, which was a real disappointment.

Everything begins at the Offensive Line after the Chargers struggled to establish the run with any consistency in the opening game and that has to change to just open up the playbook for the new Offensive Co-Ordinator to get the best out of the Quarter Back. Much more will be expected of Omarion Hampton and the Offensive Line and they can show a lot more life in this game.

Doing so should make things pretty comfortable for Justin Herbert and the Quarter Back will be looking to take more care of the ball.

One concern for the home team has to be the performance of the Offensive Line to give Justin Herbert time to allow routes to develop down the field and that has to be improved. This is especially the case against the Raiders, who were able to break into the backfield relentlessly in the win over the Dolphins, although it should always be pointed out how poor Miami looked.

There should be some urgency about the Los Angeles Chargers performance and they have won the last four games against this AFC West rival.

It would be a huge surprise if Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has not gotten into his players and cannot extract a reaction from them, while the Las Vegas Raiders are missing the best Receiver and may struggle to move the ball with a lot of consistency. That could come together to see the Chargers secure a solid win and get themselves ready for a four game run that may determine how this season will shape up for them.

MY PICKS: Buffalo Bills-Detroit Lions Over 54.5 Points @ 1.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chicago Bears - 4.5 Points @ 1.91 William Hill (1 Unit)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 7.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Philadelphia Eagles - 6.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Los Angeles Chargers - 6.5 Points @ 1.91 Paddy Power (1 Unit)

Dallas Cowboys - 3.5 Points @ 1.87 Bet365 (1 Unit)

San Francisco 49ers - 13.5 Points @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Week 1: 2-4-1, - 2.23 Units (7 Units Staked, - 31.86% Yield)

World Series of Darts Finals Day 1 Picks 2026 (Thursday 17th September)

We are entering that time of the PDC calendar when big tournaments come thick and fast and eyes begin to turn towards the World Championship.

Three months remain before it all gets underway at Ally Pally again, but the attention is focusing on the big events when you think only six floor Players Championship events remain.

Two more European Tour events will take place before the European Championship, while the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals are other big events remaining in the build to the World Championship.

Luke Littler has put together a couple of years where his dominance is very much in line with the likes of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen previously and every big event he enters, Littler will be a strong favourite to pick up the title.

He has yet to Qualify for the Players Championship Finals, but you would not rule out the World Number 1 from doing that even though he will finish the season with just four floor events attended. That may lead to some criticism from outsiders, but Luke Littler will care little about that if he does go on to sweep the 2026 big titles and then wins a third World Championship in a row to open 2027.

The World Series Finals brings together plenty of big names, but the challenge for all beyond the First Round is beating Luke Littler in a longer format match.

This has not happened very often at all since Littler lost the World Championship Final to Luke Humphries in January 2024 and something needs to change if only to give those chasing the World Number 1 the belief that they can beat this player. Most have lacked that confidence and Littler has also shown he can surge through the gears at key times to take matches away from opponents and so the youngster remains the player to beat any time he enters any tournament.

Dirk van Duijvenbode - 2.5 legs v Viktor Tingstrom: After reaching the World Matchplay Semi Final in July and looking like he was getting back to levels shown previously, Dirk van Duijvenbode has not really built on the momentum he had picked up.

He beat two former World Champions in his run to the last four, but was outclassed by Luke Littler like so many others have been.

Dirk van Duijvenbode reached the Quarter Final of the European Tour 11 event at the end of August, but has suffered opening defeats in the next two tournaments. However, this looks a very winnable First Round match in Amsterdam where the home fans are going to be behind him.

Viktor Tingstrom is very capable when at his best, as he showed in a win over Stephen Bunting at the Nordic Darts Masters, but he has suffered two comfortable defeats to Dirk van Duijvenbode on the floor this year.

With the scoring power that van Duijvenbode possesses, he should have enough to power past this opponent in the opening match at the World Series of Darts Finals.

Kevin Doets-Ross Smith over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100+ checkout: Two very strong scorers meet in a First Round match that the layers are struggling to favour one over the other.

It is a tough match to call and both Kevin Doets and Ross Smith should be confident, while the former is going to have the home support behind him.

Playing in Europe has been very positive for Ross Smith all season though and that will give him belief and confidence and both players are big time maximum hitters once they find their rhythm.

Matches like this can be swung by a big finish or two and that may be the case when Kevin Doets and Ross Smith meet for a third time in 2026 having split the previous two matches.

Josh Rock v Stephen Bunting: Both of these players were involved in the Premier League in 2026, but Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting may have work to do to compete again in 2027.

That would change if the format is expanded as rumoured, but if only eight players are selected, neither has done enough to believe they will earn a call up.

All of that changes in the next three months with some big runs at Ranking events and in spots like this one at the World Series of Darts Finals.

It should be said that neither can point to a lot of positive form of late, but Rocky is perhaps an underrated underdog considering he has won three of the four matches against Stephen Bunting this season.

The two Premier League matches were split with a win each in this format, but Josh Rock earned wins at the UK Open and World Matchplay and that may give him enough belief to power into the Second Round.

Luke Humphries to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Jermaine Wattimena: It is no surprise that there is a big Dutch contingent taking part in this tournament and the atmosphere by the time Luke Humphries and Jermaine Wattimena reach the stage should be approaching fever pitch.

The fans would love to see an upset, but Luke Humphries has enjoyed the tempo set by Wattimena and it has allowed him to play some of his best darts.

He was beaten by this opponent at the Dutch Masters in January last year, which is something that Luke Humphries is unlikely to have forgotten. It should also motivate him to be more prepared to deal with the hostile atmosphere and the World Number 2 looked in good form when reaching the European Tour 13 Final last week.

Jermaine Wattimena is very capable on his day and should contribute to the maximum total, but the form has been a little more mixed over the last couple of weeks and that gives Luke Humphries the edge to win the match.

Michael van Gerwen - 1.5 legs v Daryl Gurney: There is no doubt that Michael van Gerwen is still striving to close the gap to the top two players in the world, but on his day he can still be very, very good.

The consistency has been lacking, although van Gerwen can give the home fans something to celebrate by beating Daryl Gurney.

The Northern Irishman has lost four matches in a row, albeit in competitive fashion, but those defeats can knock the confidence out of many. Daryl Gurney does give off the impression that he would be less bothered and he will certainly be fired up to quieten the crowd, but nine losses in ten matches played makes it hard to see that happening.

When they met on the European Tour earlier in the season, Michael van Gerwen won a very high quality contest between the players.

It feels like Michael van Gerwen is still playing the superior darts in September and Daryl Gurney's recent drop in standards may result in an early exit in Amsterdam.

MY PICKS: Dirk van Duijvenbode - 2.5 Legs @ 1.80 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Kevin Doets-Ross Smith Over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Micael van Gerwen - 1.5 Legs @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Darts 2026: 128-162, - 21.43 Units (289 Units Staked, - 7.42% Yield)

US Open Day 15 Tennis Pick- Men's Final 2026 (Sunday 13th September)

It proved to be a fitting conclusion to the Women's tournament at the US Open as Elena Rybakina overwhelmed Aryna Sabalenka in the third set meaning the new World Number 1 is holding two Grand Slams from a fruitful 2026 season.

Beating Sabalenka to end her runs of successes in both Melbourne and New York City means Elena Rybakina can move into the top spot in the World Rankings with the full belief that she is the best player in the world.

Three Grand Slams have now been secured and Elena Rybakina has the potential to win many more, although the finel margins of her tennis means she can be vulnerable to upsets as proved to be the case at Wimbledon.

Despite that, Elena Rybakina is likely to enter three of the four Grand Slams to be played in the 2027 season as the favourite and she will have gained a lot of confidence from her year.

Of course it is not quite over with the swing through Asia followed by the WTA Finals and so there are still big prizes to be won and the end of year World Number 1 spot to be decided.

Before all of that, the US Open has to be completed in the Men's Singles Final and it looks a good one on paper.

It would be really good for American Tennis if Ben Shelton can win, and he is definitely the more likeable of the two competing, but Alexander Zverev has won a Grand Slam to break his duck and looks to be the right favourite.

Alexander Zverev - 1.5 games v Ben Shelton: The top Seed in the draw is looking for a second Grand Slam title in 2026 and he will also be looking to close out home hopes of seeing a first American male player win a Major since Andy Roddick did it right here at the US Open in 2003.

The Big Three had dominated the Grand Slams in that time, but American tennis has missed having a top player competing with those players since Andy Roddick retired and so there is plenty of pressure on Ben Shelton to end that long wait.

He is playing well enough to believe he can win the title here on Sunday, but Ben Shelton is going to be tested by the occasion and also has a really poor record against Alexander Zverev.

Losing all five Tour matches against this opponent is one thing, but losing as convincingly as he has and as often as he has makes this even tougher for Ben Shelton.

So not only is he trying to snap a long barren run for American tennis in the men's tournament, but Ben Shelton has to show how much he has developed since the losses have piled up against Alexander Zverev. None of those defeats have been this year, which will at least give Shelton the belief that he has grown so far to close the gap, but four of the defeats were in matches played in 2025 and the last two were on the hard courts.

Ben Shelton has improved on his returning part of his tennis, and that is going to be tested on Sunday.

In the five previous matches against Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton has broken serve in less than 2% of return games played and that number becomes 3% when only factoring in the three previous hard court matches.

Not only has he only broken the Zverev serve once, but Ben Shelton has only forced a single Break Point in the last four matches and the top Seed has been moving through the Rounds thanks to the pressure exerted by the serve.

This could be key again in this US Open Final, especially as Alexander Zverev has found a way to get into return games against Ben Shelton and the French Open Champion looks the most likely winner in this match.

Alexander Zverev's overall performance in the Semi Final win over Karen Khachanov was not the most convincing, but he will feel relatively comfortable in the match up and it is all about managing the nerves.

If he can do that, Alexander Zverev can win another Grand Slam title, although a win for Ben Shelton may be great news for the sport as a whole.

MY PICK: Alexander Zverev - 1.5 Games @ 1.85 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 33-22, + 8.60 Units (110 Units Staked, + 7.82% Yield)

European Tour 13- Flanders Darts Trophy Day 3 Picks 2026 (Sunday 13th September)

As with most of the European Tour events played on the PDC Tour, we move into Day 3 at the Flanders Darts Trophy when the Third Round is completed during the Day Session and the trophy is decided in the Evening Session from the Quarter Final through to the Championship dart.

A good looking lineup has come together and that should mean another solid day of viewing for fans of the sport.

Ryan Searle v Chris Dobey: You know that Chris Dobey is going to bring some heavy artillery into this Third Round match, but his inconsistent results have come down to some poor finishing.

6/26 of the Doubles were hit in the Second Round win, but Dobey will know he needs to be a lot better to win a match like this one.

Ryan Searle produced another solid display, although he has also been lacking some consistency in his results of late.

However, Heavy Metal will feel he can at least match the scoring capabilities of Chris Dobey for long enough to earn chances in this Third Round contest and Ryan Searle may be a worthy underdog to back.

Gerwyn Price-Ross Smith over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100 checkout: The winner of this Third Round match could take plenty of confidence into the Evening Session and become very difficult to beat.

Gerwyn Price looked really strong on Saturday night, while Ross Smith has been enjoying his time on the European Tour for several months.

Both are very capable of piling up the maximums and this is another match where a big finish could be crucial in earning the momentum to push through to the Quarter Final.

It is not easy to pick a winner, but you would like to think this is a match that will last at least nine Legs and that should provide the time needed to give this match double an opportunity to be return to the winner's enclosure.

Luke Woodhouse v Damon Heta: The Australian has had two very good wins at this tournament, but Damon Heta has not needed his best form to beat Beau Greaves and Michael van Gerwen.

He is unlikely to get away with a low 90s average in this Third Round match.

Luke Woodhouse secured a very good win over William O'Connor on Saturday and has won a European title this season as he continues pushing up towards the top of the World Rankings.

The Heat can be very good, but Woodhouse should be the player with the most chances to win Legs and he can battle through to the Quarter Final.

Stephen Bunting-Nathan Aspinall over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100+ checkout: Big scoring and big checkouts were seen in both Second Round matches that were won by Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall on Saturday.

They can round out the Day Session with a bit more of the same in what could be a match that needs at least nine Legs to find a winner.

If it goes as long as expected, the two players should comfortably get up to six maximums between them, while it could be a match swung by a big finish.

Both are very good combination finishers and so this match double looks a decent selection at odds against.

MY PICKS: Ryan Searle @ 2.20 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price-Ross Smith Over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Woodhouse @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting-Nathan Aspinall Over 5.5 180s & 1+ 100+ Checkout @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Quarter Final Picks: Ross Smith & Most 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Nathan Aspinall & Most 180s @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Flanders Darts Trophy: 2-4, - 2.34 Units (6 Units Staked, - 39% Yield)

US Open Day 14 Tennis Pick 2026- Women's Final (Saturday 12th September)

Two matches remain the 2026 Grand Slam season in the Tennis world and both Finals at the US Open bring plenty of intrigue into the weekend.

Thirteen years have passed since the US Open Final was played between the top two Seeds and this will strengthen the WTA Tour considering both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are multiple time Grand Slam Champions already.

It is Elena Rybakina who will be taking over as World Number 1 on Monday, but it is Aryna Sabalenka who will enter the Final as favourite having won the US Open in each of the last two years. The top Seed certainly put together the more impressive Semi Final win, although it is Rybakina who has the mental advantage of having won the Australian Open Final when these two met in Melbourne in the first Grand Slam of the season.

Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina over 22.5 games: The US Open Final is a repeat of the Australian Open Final which was won by Elena Rybakina in three sets.

She will be taking over as the World Number 1 regardless of how this Final plays out, but Elena Rybakina would love to secure a second Grand Slam in 2026 to underline that new position. Fighting back to beat Coco Gauff in the Semi Final will have given Elena Rybakina a confidence boost having dropped the first set in each of her last two wins at the tournament, but she would like to avoid that against the two time defending US Open Champion.

Aryna Sabalenka has not had a bad year on the Tour, but she has set high standards and has clearly not met them.

The top Seed at the US Open has not had a great summer and the lack of success at the last two Grand Slam events would have dented the belief, although Aryna Sabalenka clearly enjoys playing in New York City. She put in a very solid performance to beat Jessica Pegula in the Semi Final and spending fifty minutes less on the court than Elena Rybakina could still be important.

Both players are going to want to work behind the serve- if that aspect of the tennis is not quite at the top level, the rest of the tennis can fall away and that is something that both Sabalenka and Rybakina will be aware of avoiding. Serving well just helps settle any nerves by offering up a few more cheaper points and it is very important to get plenty of first serves into play to avoid offering the other an opportunity to get on the front foot immediately.

You have to expect to see plenty of winners, although the layers are perhaps right to give Aryna Sabalenka the narrow edge seeing as her serve has been in slightly better nick than Elena Rybakina's as the tournament has been winding down. That is not to say Rybakina is serving poorly, but those fine margins may be in favour of the two time defending Champion, who is also very aware of how to win big matches on this court.

It also could be a factor that Aryna Sabalenka has won the last two hard court matches against Elena Rybakina at Indian Wells and Miami since the Australian Open Final defeat. Those wins have just turned the momentum of the head to head after Elena Rybakina had won seven of nine hard court matches between the pair and Sabalenka has to take real confidence from those back to back wins.

Again, that may be the slight edge the current World Number 1 needs to beat the opponent who will be taking over that spot in the Rankings on Monday morning.

However, it would be a surprise if Elena Rybakina cannot push this match and she is a player that looks a big price to win the title here for the first time.

She does not look the type of player who will be thinking about those consecutive defeats to this opponent, but instead Elena Rybakina will just do what she does best and that is serve big and hit big and see where that takes her. The success in the Australian Open Final will also be a big reminder of what she can do against Aryna Sabalenka and this could develop into another scrap between the two best players on the Tour.

A deciding set has been needed in two of the three hard court matches between these players in 2026 and this US Open Final may be yet another that goes the distance.

MY PICKS: Aryna Sabalenka-Elena Rybakina Over 22.5 Games @ 1.72 William Hill (2 Units)

US Open Update: 32-22, + 7.16 Units (108 Units Staked, + 6.63% Yield)

College Football Week 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 12th September)

The first few days of September have been pretty challenging and it has meant that this thread has not been able to be as full as usual.

Week 2 of the College Football season is a time when teams begin to take on stronger opponents and there are some very big non-Conference games to be played that could have an impact in the final placings when it comes to the Playoffs later in the year.

From Week 3, there will be a real effort at a thread with some analysis to go along with the selections.

MY PICKS; Kansas State Wildcats - 17.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Oklahoma Sooner - 4.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Clemson Tigers - 19.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Auburn Tigers - 32.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet365 (1 Unit)

USC Trojans - 30.5 Points @ 1.80 William Hill (1 Unit)

Week 0: 0-3, - 3 Units (3 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)

European Tour 13- Flanders Darts Trophy Day 2 Picks 2026 (Saturday 12th September)

The Second Round of the Flanders Darts Trophy sees some of the top names enter the tournament, although there will be a number of competitors who will believe they can pick up the thirteenth European Tour title of the season.

Most will be playing with spots in the European Championship Finals close to be secured, if not guaranteed, but there is still plenty to motivate those involved in this tournament, including the healthy prize money.

Rob Cross - 1.5 legs v Martin Schindler: The former World Champion has been putting a lot of quality results on the board over the last three months and his form looks too hot for Martin Schindler to handle.

While Rob Cross is improving, Martin Schindler is sliding down the Rankings and he is going to be in danger of losing his Seeding position at these European Tour events.

European 12 was a decent showing for The Wall, which will help his confidence, but Rob Cross looks full of belief and his consistency may be enough to secure passage into the Third Round.

Chris Dobey to win & both players over 1.5 180s v Niels Zonneveld: At the start of the season, Niels Zonneveld looked to be the next Dutchman who was going to be surging towards the top of the Darting world, but that momentum has slowed.

Instead it is Wessel Nijman and Kevin Doets earning the headlines and recent results have been iffy as far as Zonneveld is concerned.

In saying that, Chris Dobey has not exactly been having consistent deep runs into tournaments.

An early loss at the European Tour 12 event may have just refocused Chris Dobey as he looks to move back amongst the elite and he can win a match in which both players contribute at least two maximums.

Ross Smith - 1.5 legs v Jeffrey de Graaf: Winning important titles will continue the development of any player and Ross Smith has taking a real liking to playing on the European Tour.

He can continue on his way with a battling win over a quality opponent in the Second Round.

Jeffrey de Graaf is more than capable of producing an upset, but Ross Smith is playing some really confident darts and bounced back from a poor showing in the World Series of Darts events Down Under. He won the European Tour tournament played at the end of August and produced another couple of wins last week and Smith has shown he is now backing up his scoring with composed finishing.

His opponent played well on the floor at the end of August, but consistency at this level can be difficult to find and Jeffrey de Graaf may come up short.

Josh Rock to win & most 180s v Ryan Joyce: These two met last week and it was Josh Rock who came through against Relentless and there is every reason to believe he can back up that form.

Ryan Joyce won on Friday, but made harder work of Stephen Burton than it should have been and will have to lift his level considerably.

Nothing much was wrong with the finishing, which makes Joyce dangerous, but Josh Rock should be able to get into a position to have more opportunities in Legs and that can see him frank the result from last week.

You have to respect Ryan Joyce's ability to get into the treble 20 bed, but it is Rocky who should edge the maximum count as well.

MY PICKS: Rob Cross - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Chris Dobey to Win & Both Players Over 1.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Ross Smith - 1.5 Legs @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Josh Rock to Win & Most 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Flanders Darts Trophy: 0-2, - 2 Units (2 Units Staked, - 100% Yield)