Champions League Tips

Since moving up from cruiserweight, Riakporhe has fought twice at heavyweight and has won both of those contests by stoppage. He can take the British title away from Jeamie TKV, who has been stopped twice in an 11-fight career, without needing the judges.

Conor Benn is the huge favourite but veteran Regis Prograis won’t go down easily. Rougarou has a 30-3 record and has never been stopped, while Benn’s last four fights have all gone the distance. Prograis is a former world champion and can at least reach the latter stages of this fight so over 6.5 rounds looks a solid bet.

Tyson Fury makes his return from retirement on Saturday but he’s only been out of the ring for around 16 months and ring rust isn’t a concern. Fury should be too much for a one-dimensional Arslanbek Makhmudov  and he can win inside the distance. Fury doesn’t have the kind of power that will allow him to just blow the 36-year-old away in one visit but he should be able to pick Makhmudov off as the rounds progress and he can force a stoppage in the second half of the fight.

Tyson Fury makes his return from retirement on Saturday but he’s only been out of the ring for around 16 months and ring rust isn’t a concern. Fury should be too much for a one-dimensional Arslanbek Makhmudov  and he can win inside the distance. Fury doesn’t have the kind of power that will allow him to just blow the 36-year-old away in one visit but he should be able to pick Makhmudov off as the rounds progress and he can force a stoppage in the second half of the fight.

Charlotte is the sharper side because motivation and form both lean their way. The Hornets are still battling for playoff positioning, while Detroit has already secured the East’s top seed. Charlotte has also been playing excellent basketball, winning eight of ten recently and continuing that momentum into this matchup. Their balanced offence makes them harder to scheme against, especially at home, where role players typically elevate. Detroit is still dangerous, but late-season urgency often matters. With more at stake and stronger immediate momentum, Charlotte is the side to back.

After the Wizards gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo alone in a 150-129 defeat in March, they went on to lose 152-136 when these two met last weekend. The Heat have some alarming defensive issues, while the Wizards look awful on that side of the court as they play out their final two games with all focus on the draft lottery.

The Bucks have not been terrible at home, winning two of their last three in Milwaukee. It will be the Bucks’ last home game of the season, and they will want to end their year in front of their home town fans with a win. The Nets are in full tank with a starting lineup of players who likely have little future in the NBA. The Bucks will still have Ryan Rollins and AJ Green running their backcourt, so they can clear this spread.

Denver is the hottest team in the NBA with 10 games in a row, they have the best offensive rating at 128.2 during this stretch. The number 3 seed is still not yet secured, so they’ll have to go all out here. OKC has wrapped up the top seed so they are likely to rest players, which should allow for an easy win for Denver.

The Trail Blazers have benefited from a kind run of games at home, but this is a head-to-head contest for eighth in the West, which would be a huge boost to the play-off prospects of the winner. The Clippers have a two-time champion in Kawhi Leonard, who has dragged them into play-off contention after a dire start. This young Portland side lack that kind of leadership, so back the Clippers to edge this.

Phoenix has nothing to play for here. They are finishing 7th regardless of how their final two games of the season end. They’ve already announced Booker is not playing; other players will likely get the night off, too. The Lakers need to win to keep hold of the 4th seed. They produced an impressive win over the Warriors last night, and LeBron James will take it upon himself to bring it home for the Lakers once again. 

Charlotte is the sharper side because motivation and form both lean their way. The Hornets are still battling for playoff positioning, while Detroit has already secured the East’s top seed. Charlotte has also been playing excellent basketball, winning eight of ten recently and continuing that momentum into this matchup. Their balanced offence makes them harder to scheme against, especially at home, where role players typically elevate. Detroit is still dangerous, but late-season urgency often matters. With more at stake and stronger immediate momentum, Charlotte is the side to back.

After the Wizards gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo alone in a 150-129 defeat in March, they went on to lose 152-136 when these two met last weekend. The Heat have some alarming defensive issues, while the Wizards look awful on that side of the court as they play out their final two games with all focus on the draft lottery.

The Trail Blazers have benefited from a kind run of games at home, but this is a head-to-head contest for eighth in the West, which would be a huge boost to the play-off prospects of the winner. The Clippers have a two-time champion in Kawhi Leonard, who has dragged them into play-off contention after a dire start. This young Portland side lack that kind of leadership, so back the Clippers to edge this.

Phoenix has nothing to play for here. They are finishing 7th regardless of how their final two games of the season end. They’ve already announced Booker is not playing; other players will likely get the night off, too. The Lakers need to win to keep hold of the 4th seed. They produced an impressive win over the Warriors last night, and LeBron James will take it upon himself to bring it home for the Lakers once again. 

The Trail Blazers have benefited from a kind run of games at home, but this is a head-to-head contest for eighth in the West, which would be a huge boost to the play-off prospects of the winner. The Clippers have a two-time champion in Kawhi Leonard, who has dragged them into play-off contention after a dire start. This young Portland side lack that kind of leadership, so back the Clippers to edge this.

Phoenix has nothing to play for here. They are finishing 7th regardless of how their final two games of the season end. They’ve already announced Booker is not playing; other players will likely get the night off, too. The Lakers need to win to keep hold of the 4th seed. They produced an impressive win over the Warriors last night, and LeBron James will take it upon himself to bring it home for the Lakers once again. 

Phoenix has nothing to play for here. They are finishing 7th regardless of how their final two games of the season end. They’ve already announced Booker is not playing; other players will likely get the night off, too. The Lakers need to win to keep hold of the 4th seed. They produced an impressive win over the Warriors last night, and LeBron James will take it upon himself to bring it home for the Lakers once again. 

Ludvig Aberg is arguably the form player on the PGA Tour, finishing third, fifth and fifth in his last three starts, and he is made for the Masters, as course form figures of 2-7 underline.

Min Woo Lee has long looked to have the tools for this test and has finished in the top 12 in four of his last five PGA Tour appearances. The power-packed Perth man was 14th on his Masters debut in 2022 and his touch around the greens will be a massive asset this weekend.

Nicolai Hojgaard returns to Augusta on an impressive run of results, finishing third in Phoenix, sixth in the Cognizant Classic and was a runner-up behind Gary Woodland in the Texas Open last time out.

Few boast a better Augusta skill set than Xander Schauffele, who can capitalise on an ideal preparation to claim a first Masters victory. Schauffele’s 2024 campaign, in which he won the US PGA Championship and the Open, was always going to be tough to beat, and he never found top gear last season after suffering a rib injury early in the campaign. However, he was still able to finish eighth at Augusta on just his fifth start of the year, and signed off 2025 with victory in the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.

It’s second against fourth in Italy’s second tier, and visitors Palermo have failed to win a game against a side in the top eight so far. Frosinone can move level with leaders Venezia with a victory, and they’re in fantastic scoring form, netting at least twice in their previous 10 games.

Seven of Hoffenheim’s last nine games have gone over 2.5 goals and Augsburg have one of the worst defensive records in the division. However, Augsburg have netted in six of their last seven matches, and Hoffenheim ship 1.71 goals per away trip, so goals appeal here.

Galway United have won three of their last four games in high-scoring fashion, as they’ve scored nine and conceded eight across that run. Shelbourne are aiming to bounce back from consecutive 3-2 defeats, so expect an open encounter in this clash.

Moreirense have lost nine of their 10 clashes with the top six this season, shipping at least two goals in eight of those defeats. The visitors have shipped 14 goals across six visits to their fellow top-half sides. They head to fifth-placed Famalicao, who have built their European push on fine home form, scoring 21 goals across 11 meetings with sides below them.

Pisa have lost five of their last eight games without scoring and they are yet to win on the road this season, despite Roma’s struggles they should be able to shut out these strugglers and record a win to nil.

Marseille lost back-to-back games before the international break but those defeats came against Lille and rivals Monaco, so they can expect to find things easier when hosting basement boys Metz. The visitors have failed to score in seven of their last nine matches and look set for another disappointing outing.

Millwall have taken the most points on the road of any team in the Championship this season, and they’ll be eager to get their promotion hopes back on track after falling to a defeat to Norwich on Monday.

Real Madrid should have too much for Girona in a high-scoring clash at the Bernabeu. Both teams have scored in Los Blancos’ last five games and a repeat of that is fancied as the hosts may have one eye on next week’s second leg against Bayern Munich but should have enough to get the win.

Wolves are on a four-game scoring streak and both teams have scored in each of their last three games. West Ham have only failed to score in one of their last six games and they have kept just one clean sheet themselves during that period.

Moreirense have lost nine of their 10 clashes with the top six this season, shipping at least two goals in eight of those defeats. The visitors have shipped 14 goals across six visits to their fellow top-half sides. They head to fifth-placed Famalicao, who have built their European push on fine home form, scoring 21 goals across 11 meetings with sides below them.

Drogheda are winless in eight after a 3-2 home defeat to Galway United, and they meet a Waterford side who are without a victory this season. The hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven, with BTTS landing in three of their previous four. Despite their struggles, Drogheda have found the net in all five of their away trips this season, keeping only one clean sheet.

Wolves are on a four-game scoring streak and both teams have scored in each of their last three games. West Ham have only failed to score in one of their last six games and they have kept just one clean sheet themselves during that period.

Both teams have scored in Los Blancos’ last five games and a repeat of that is fancied as the hosts may have one eye on next week’s second leg against Bayern Munich.

Adam Armstrong opened his account for Wolves in the 2-2 draw with Brentford last time out, having recorded two assists in his first six appearances in the league since his January arrival. That strike should provide a bit of a confidence boost and he can follow that up with a goal at West Ham.

Six of Real Madrid’s last ten games have ended 2-1 and a repeat of that scoreline is the selection against a Girona team who have taken just 15 points from their 15 away games in La Liga this season.

With Metz failing to find the net in five of their last six games, a Marseille clean sheet seems likely. It then becomes a question of how many can the hosts score and given they have netted 15 goals in their last seven home matches, three seems a probable tally for OM.

Real Madrid should have too much for Girona in a high-scoring clash at the Bernabeu. Both teams have scored in Los Blancos’ last five games and a repeat of that is fancied as the hosts may have one eye on next week’s second leg against Bayern Munich but should have enough to get the win.

Moreirense have lost nine of their 10 clashes with the top six this season, shipping at least two goals in eight of those defeats. The visitors have shipped 14 goals across six visits to their fellow top-half sides. They head to fifth-placed Famalicao, who have built their European push on fine home form, scoring 21 goals across 11 meetings with sides below them.

Melbourne Victory have lost their two visits to the top three this season, and they’ve been beaten in five of 11 away trips overall. Second-placed Auckland are good at home and they can claim maximum points once again.

10 of Adelaide United’s 11 away trips have seen both teams score, including all three of their defeats. The visitors have won once in five matches, with BTTS landing in each of those. The hosts have won 14 of their 23 games this term, including a 3-2 win at Adelaide when these two last met.

Bottom side Western Sydney Wanderers have the third-best xG record in the A-League, and they can beat Sydney FC at home for the second time this term. The visitors are winless in four, and they head to a side that has only lost one home meeting with teams outside the top three.

10 of Adelaide United’s 11 away trips have seen both teams score, including all three of their defeats. The visitors have won once in five matches, with BTTS landing in each of those. The hosts have won 14 of their 23 games this term, including a 3-2 win at Adelaide when these two last met.

Seven straight league wins mean Monaco are the most in-form team in Europe’s top five leagues and they can maintain their impressive run in the capital. The Monegasques sensational sequence includes victories over PSG, Marseille and Lyon, so it is hard to see mid-table Paris FC coping with Sebastien Pocognoli’s men.

Marseille lost back-to-back games before the international break but those defeats came against Lille and rivals Monaco, so they can expect to find things easier when hosting basement boys Metz. The visitors have failed to score in seven of their last nine matches, so it’s a question of how many the hosts can score. Marseille have netted 15 goals in their last seven home matches, so they can clear a -1 handicap.

Augsburg have lost 14 Bundesliga games this season, only the bottom three have suffered more defeats, and they may be set for another against a Hoffenheim side who have won seven away games already this term.

Real Madrid should have too much for Girona in a high-scoring clash at the Bernabeu. Both teams have scored in Los Blancos’ last five games and a repeat of that is fancied as the hosts may have one eye on next week’s second leg against Bayern Munich but should have enough to get the win.

It’s second against fourth in Italy’s second tier, and visitors Palermo have failed to win a game against a side in the top eight so far. Frosinone can move level with leaders Venezia with a victory, and they’re in fantastic scoring form, netting at least twice in their previous 10 games.

Swindon are firmly in the mix for promotion in League Two and they look likely winners in this clash with Colchester. The visitors are unbeaten in five away games, recording three wins during that period, while Colchester have won only one of their last six and have nothing at stake.