Champions League Tips

Standard Liege have drawn 3-3 in their last two games and they meet a Mechelen outfit who have seen at least four goals scored in their last four matches.

Aside from an anomalous 5-0 defeat to Oxford, Peterborough have enjoyed a strong April, winning five of their six matches, and they should be much too strong for lowly Cheltenham. The hosts have scored in a defeat in four of their last five at home.

Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score has been a winning bet in eight of the last 11 meetings between this pair – including the reverse fixture and this exact match last season – and this clash could follow suit, with Arsenal desperate to keep up their title challenge and Chelsea keen to finish the campaign on a high.

Leicester have posted 16 wins in 21 home games in the Championship this term and they can boost their promotion prospects with a win over Southampton. However, Saints have scored in all but one of their last 18 Championship trips.

Doncaster are on a remarkable nine-game winning run which has propelled them into contention for the League Two playoffs. They can keep the winning streak going away to Colchester, who are not yet certain of avoiding relegation.

Laval have lost four of their last five games ahead of this visit to top side Auxerre, who have won nine of 16 home matches this term. The visitors lost 3-1 in the reverse fixture and they’ve suffered consecutive 3-0 defeats.

Bordeaux have lost their last two games and they’ve won only once in their last seven. The hosts were beaten by Bastia in their last home game and Dunkerque have one of the league’s best away records, winning three of their last four trips.

The hosts have picked up some form thanks to improving at the back. Grenoble have lost just one of their last four, keeping three clean sheets in that run. Saint Etienne lost their last away trip and they head to a team who have suffered just three defeats in 16 at home this term.

Concarneau are winless in nine and they’ve lost eight of 16 trips this term. Bastia are among the league’s form sides with three wins from their last four and they’ve won four of six home games against sides below them.

Pau are flying right now with four wins in their last five, with only two teams picking up more points across the last eight rounds in Ligue 2. Troyes have lost four on the spin and another defeat looms here.

Ajaccio have conceded in six of their last seven league games, while they head to a Valenciennes side who have lost five on the bounce, but each of their last three have seen both teams score.

The Knicks are great outsiders to win the Eastern Conference but backing them each-way for the title offers a better return. The Knicks were second in the regular season and they’ve improved since adding OG Anunoby midway through the campaign. The former Toronto Raptor has been on a title-winning roster, while he’s a solid postseason option and a defensive superstar. The Knicks have Jalen Brunson in the form of his life, so they’re fantastic outsiders to win the East.

The Mavericks’ 16-2 run down the stretch proved they can be a postseason force. They’ve got the best backcourt in the West, while defensive upgrades in February have made them really hard to stop. The Mavs have become very efficient offensively in the back-half of the campaign and in Luka Doncic they boast a near unstoppable offensive force, alongside NBA champion Kyrie Irving.

The Bucks had a shaky finish to the season and they lost four of five meetings with Indiana this season. The Pacers’ chances will be boosted by the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss out early in this series. His return could drag things out, but the Pacers should progress.

The Magic have all the tools to expose this Cavs side and they rank third defensively this term, which bodes well for the postseason. Cleveland lost 15 of their final 25 games this season, with their roster lacking cohesiveness and rumours swirling that star man Donovan Mitchell is heading for the exit. The pair split the regular season series 2-2, but that was before the Cavs fell apart in the run-in.

The Timberwolves’ huge frontcourt is fancied to cause problems for a Suns side who lack the defensive options for a long postseason run. The Suns have struggled to impress in the last couple of playoff runs and they finished eight games behind a Timberwolves side who were the clear best side in the West before Karl-Anthony Towns went down with injury. With Towns back to fitness, back Minnesota to progress.

The Mavericks are flying right now and they meet an LA Clippers side who have gone cold. The Clippers roster is packed with players known for shrinking in the postseason and their star man Kawhi Leonard is an injury doubt.

The Bucks had a shaky finish to the season and they lost four of five meetings with Indiana this season. The Pacers’ chances will be boosted by the news that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss out early in this series.

The Magic have all the tools to expose this Cavs side and they rank third defensively this term, which bodes well for the postseason. Cleveland lost 15 of their final 25 games this season, with their roster lacking cohesiveness and rumours swirling that star man Donovan Mitchell is heading for the exit.

Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge at the end of 2023 and he heads into the new year with his work to improve his putting already reaping rewards. With form figures of 19-18-1-10 at Augusta, that improvement makes him among the leading contenders. 

McIlroy has an excellent record at the US PGA, winning the tournament twice. He has already won this tournament at Valhalla Golf Club – which is this year’s venue. That added edge should see him end his Majors draught at the US PGA this summer. 

Johnston won the US Open in 2016, a year after a second-place finish at the tournament. Overall he has seven top 10 finishes to his name at this event, including another one in 2023. Back him to lift his third Major title, having won the last time it was held at Pinehurst.

Schauffele is the final selection having been second at the 2018 Open, while he was victorious at the Scottish Open in 2022. He’s finished inside the top 20 in four of his six Open appearances and his great links golf record makes him a standout at this event. With six of the last seven Open winners coming from the States, back Schauffele to continue that trend. 

Novak Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam titles last season to take his Major haul to 24, showing at 36 years of age that he still has plenty left to offer.

Djokovic was crowned Australian Open champion for a tenth time last season and, having won the Melbourne title in four of the last five years, he should take plenty of stopping as he is rarely undercooked for the opening Major of the campaign.

Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are unlikely to have things their own way all season and they may be at their most vulnerable at the French Open, where there appears to be plenty of strength in depth amongst the clay-court performers.

With King of Clay Rafael Nadal having struggled for recent appearances, Danish youngster Holger Rune may pose the most serious test and he did claim the 2019 French Open boys’ singles title.

Rune’s two French Open main draw appearances have resulted in runs to the quarter-final while at 20 years of age he is already a four-time finalist on the clay.

Djokovic had won Wimbledon on four straight occasions prior to losing to Alcaraz in last season’s final, but Jannik Sinner may be ready to serve it up to the big two this year.

The big-serving Sinner appears to have a game well-suited to the grass, having made the quarter-final in 2022 and gone one better on his way to the semi-finals last season.

The impressive Italian was no match for Djokovic in the last four but the 22-year-old is still open to plenty of improvement and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada should have installed him with the belief to challenge for Grand Slam silverware.

Alcaraz already has two Grand Slam titles to his name despite being only 20 and the Spanish sensation looks certain to add plenty of big successes to his CV in the years to come, starting with another US Open title.

The Murcia man lifted his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows two years ago and although beaten in the semi-final by Daniil Medvedev last season, that setback looks set to spur him on to even loftier heights.

Aryna Sabalenka had a year to remember in 2023 as she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title and moved up to world number one.

Sabalenka’s first Major came at the Australian Open and there is no reason to doubt her as she bids to defend her title and show why she should be considered the best female player on the planet.

The Belarusian’s hard-hitting style makes her extremely tough to beat when on song and she has been a model of consistency in Grand Slam events, having also finished runner-up at last season’s US Open and made at least the semi-final in six of her last nine Majors.

Iga Swiatek has a point to prove next season after being replaced by Sabalenka as world number one, so expect her to return to the court with a vengeance.

Swiatek is proving a formidable force on clay, having won the French Open in three of the last four seasons, and the Pole is likely to showcase her clay-court prowess once again and should take plenty of stopping in her Roland Garros title defence.

Things petered out for Elena Rybakina last season having started so positively with a runner-up effort at the Australian Open, but the classy Kazakh is likely to come back stronger and could regain her Wimbledon title.

Rybakina’s serving tailed off at the end of last season but she was crowned Wimbledon champion in 2022 and then she made the quarter-final in her title defence, which highlights her grass-court credentials.

With Swiatek yet to deliver her best on grass, the All England Club may be the perfect place for the world number four to showcase her talents.

This season’s US Open was further evidence that home players have a significant advantage in front of passionate support and American ace Coco Gauff could be tough to thwart in her title defence.

Gauff thrived on hard courts last season and showed great character throughout her US Open adventure, which included a come-from-behind win over newly-crowned world number one Sabalenka in the final.

The 19-year-old could go from strength to strength after her landmark win and it’s tough to forget that she lost only one of her final 19 matches of the 2023 campaign.

Aryna Sabalenka had a year to remember in 2023 as she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title and moved up to world number one.

Sabalenka’s first Major came at the Australian Open and there is no reason to doubt her as she bids to defend her title and show why she should be considered the best female player on the planet.

The Belarusian’s hard-hitting style makes her extremely tough to beat when on song and she has been a model of consistency in Grand Slam events, having also finished runner-up at last season’s US Open and made at least the semi-final in six of her last nine Majors.

Iga Swiatek has a point to prove next season after being replaced by Sabalenka as world number one, so expect her to return to the court with a vengeance.

Swiatek is proving a formidable force on clay, having won the French Open in three of the last four seasons, and the Pole is likely to showcase her clay-court prowess once again and should take plenty of stopping in her Roland Garros title defence.

Things petered out for Elena Rybakina last season having started so positively with a runner-up effort at the Australian Open, but the classy Kazakh is likely to come back stronger and could regain her Wimbledon title.

Rybakina’s serving tailed off at the end of last season but she was crowned Wimbledon champion in 2022 and then she made the quarter-final in her title defence, which highlights her grass-court credentials.

With Swiatek yet to deliver her best on grass, the All England Club may be the perfect place for the world number four to showcase her talents.

This season’s US Open was further evidence that home players have a significant advantage in front of passionate support and American ace Coco Gauff could be tough to thwart in her title defence.

Gauff thrived on hard courts last season and showed great character throughout her US Open adventure, which included a come-from-behind win over newly-crowned world number one Sabalenka in the final.

The 19-year-old could go from strength to strength after her landmark win and it’s tough to forget that she lost only one of her final 19 matches of the 2023 campaign.

Novak Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam titles last season to take his Major haul to 24, showing at 36 years of age that he still has plenty left to offer.

Djokovic was crowned Australian Open champion for a tenth time last season and, having won the Melbourne title in four of the last five years, he should take plenty of stopping as he is rarely undercooked for the opening Major of the campaign.

Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are unlikely to have things their own way all season and they may be at their most vulnerable at the French Open, where there appears to be plenty of strength in depth amongst the clay-court performers.

With King of Clay Rafael Nadal having struggled for recent appearances, Danish youngster Holger Rune may pose the most serious test and he did claim the 2019 French Open boys’ singles title.

Rune’s two French Open main draw appearances have resulted in runs to the quarter-final while at 20 years of age he is already a four-time finalist on the clay.

Djokovic had won Wimbledon on four straight occasions prior to losing to Alcaraz in last season’s final, but Jannik Sinner may be ready to serve it up to the big two this year.

The big-serving Sinner appears to have a game well-suited to the grass, having made the quarter-final in 2022 and gone one better on his way to the semi-finals last season.

The impressive Italian was no match for Djokovic in the last four but the 22-year-old is still open to plenty of improvement and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada should have installed him with the belief to challenge for Grand Slam silverware.

Alcaraz already has two Grand Slam titles to his name despite being only 20 and the Spanish sensation looks certain to add plenty of big successes to his CV in the years to come, starting with another US Open title.

The Murcia man lifted his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows two years ago and although beaten in the semi-final by Daniil Medvedev last season, that setback looks set to spur him on to even loftier heights.

Standard Liege have drawn 3-3 in their last two games and they meet a Mechelen outfit who have seen at least four goals scored in their last four matches.

Sint-Truiden drew 3-3 in their last home game, while visitors Gent have scored 17 times across their last five matches, keeping only one clean sheet in their last four.

Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score has been a winning bet in eight of the last 11 meetings between this pair – including the reverse fixture and this exact match last season – and this clash could follow suit, with Arsenal desperate to keep up their title challenge and Chelsea keen to finish the campaign on a high.

Westerlo’s last two games have seen a combined 11 goals scored, while they’ve conceded at least three times in their last two at home. Leuven have won their last two matches but they’ve had some setbacks on their travels. The visitors could fare better here, however, as they’ve won in their last four visits, with at least three goals scored in each.

Cheltenham are on the verge of the drop but they’ve been scoring of late, with BTTS landing in six of their last seven matches. The hosts have lost five on the spin at home despite scoring in four of those games and they’re likely to be outgunned by Posh.

Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score has been a winning bet in eight of the last 11 meetings between this pair – including the reverse fixture and this exact match last season – and this clash could follow suit, with Arsenal desperate to keep up their title challenge and Chelsea keen to finish the campaign on a high.

Sint-Truiden have a fine record at home, scoring in each of their last nine games. However, they meet a Gent side who have racked up 17 strikes across their last five.

Leicester have posted 16 wins in 21 home games in the Championship this term and they can boost their promotion prospects with a win over Southampton. However, Saints have scored in all but one of their last 18 Championship trips.

Colchester have scored in eight successive home matches, but they’ve only managed one clean sheet from their last 13 at home. Doncaster are in flying form, picking up a ninth win on the bounce in a 4-2 victory over Barrow at the weekend.

Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 clashes with Chelsea and given they have won five in that run, are far more consistent than their visitors and won this fixture 3-1 last term. Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score has been a winning bet in eight of the last 11 meetings between this pair, so back a high-scoring win for the Gunners.

Aside from an anomalous 5-0 defeat to Oxford, Peterborough have enjoyed a strong April, winning five of their six matches, and they should be much too strong for lowly Cheltenham. The hosts have scored in a defeat in four of their last five at home.

Leicester have posted 16 wins in 21 home games in the Championship this term and they can boost their promotion prospects with a win over Southampton. However, Saints have scored in all but one of their last 18 Championship trips.

Lazio have won their last two home meetings with Juve, including a 1-0 victory when the pair met at the end of March. The hosts have won back-to-back games heading into this one and they should be confident of stopping a Juve side who are winless in six on the road, beating just one of their big rivals away from home in Serie A this term.

Aside from an anomalous 5-0 defeat to Oxford, Peterborough have enjoyed a strong April, winning five of their six matches, and they should be much too strong for lowly Cheltenham. The hosts have lost five of their last six games and are staring down the barrel at relegation.

The playoffs beckon for Barrow in League Two but they have gone five games without a win, losing four of them, and should be opposed against Bradford. The visitors have won three successive games against Gillingham, Salford and Walsall and could cause an upset.

Doncaster are on a remarkable nine-game winning run which has propelled them into contention for the League Two playoffs. They can keep the winning streak going away to Colchester, who are not yet certain of avoiding relegation.

Lazio have won their last two home meetings with Juve, including a 1-0 victory when the pair met at the end of March. The hosts have won back-to-back games heading into this one and they should be confident of stopping a Juve side who are winless in six on the road, beating just one of their big rivals away from home in Serie A this term.

Arsenal have lost only one of their last 11 clashes with Chelsea and given they have won five in that run, are far more consistent than their visitors and won this fixture 3-1 last term, they could just edge it this time around. However, the Blues have scored 19 goals in their last six league games and should land a blow in defeat.

Both teams have scored in 29 of Southampton’s 43 games this season and 2-1 to Leicester looks like a decent correct score when they visit the King Power Stadium.

Martin Odegaard scored late on against Wolves on Saturday and could continue that form against the Blues. Arsenal’s Norweigian star has scored three goals in his last two home matches against Chelsea, including a brace in this fixture last term, and the Gunners’ skipper could play a big part again.

Dewsbury-Hall has scored 12 times for Leicester this term and seven of those have come at the King Power, including strikes in wins over Norwich and Birmingham in their last three at home. Back him to score again in a vital game.

Bayern Munich pushed Man City the closest of any of their Champions League opponents last term and the German side have addressed the issues which cost them. Harry Kane adds a new dimension to their attack while in Kim Min-jae they’ve added an elite defender who can perform on the biggest stage. Man City’s summer business has at best left them standing still, so look to a Bayern side who have closed the gap.

Shamrock Rovers have hit form but they’ve still seen both teams score in four of their last five games. Shelbourne top the table after an encouraging start and they’ve scored in all but one of their home games this season.

Cheltenham are on the verge of the drop but they’ve been scoring of late, with BTTS landing in six of their last seven matches. The hosts have lost five on the spin at home despite scoring in four of those games and they’re likely to be outgunned by Posh.

Crystal Palace thumped West Ham 5-2 at the weekend but they meet a Newcastle side who have scored twice or more in 10 of their last 13 league matches.

Brighton have scored in 17 of their 19 home matches across all competitions this term and five of the last six encounters between these two sides have seen both teams score. With BTTS landing in five of City’s last six and given how shaky they looked in their win over Chelsea, goals should be on the cards.

These sides have shipped a combined 133 goals this season and they are both chasing a win as the threat of relegation looms. Salernitana have conceded more goals than any other Serie A side this term, but BTTS has landed in three of their last four trips.

Man United’s 3-3 draw with Coventry was their sixth consecutive game in which both teams have scored, with 30 goals scored in that run. Burnley won 4-1 at Sheffield United at the weekend and they have now scored in six of their last seven games.

These two played out an entertaining 2-2 draw when they last met and Spurs are likely to be even more adventurous at home. Both teams have scored in Tottenham’s last 12 home league games, so this derby should feature plenty of thrills and spills.