Independiente Santa Fe beat Atletico Nacional 2-1 last week to make it five wins in their last seven games, while Atletico Nacional are winless in six matches, losing four of them, and haven’t won away from home since March.

RB Bragantino have won their last three games and five of their last six at home, while opponents Bahia are on a five-game losing streak away from home in all competitions and have lost eight of their nine trips to RB Bragantino.

Vasco are winless in their last ten away games in all competitions and have lost seven of their last eight trips. They have scored in seven of these ten winless away days, though, and could get on the scoresheet against a Sao Paulo side without a clean sheet in four home games, although the hosts have won two of their last three in front of their own fans.

Deportes Iquique are rock-bottom of the Chile Primera Division and have lost their last six competitive matches, while Colo Colo head into this tie off the back of a three-game winning streak.

These sides met last week in a 1-1 draw and both teams have scored in each of Deportes Tolima’s last four games, while Deportes Tolima have seen goals at both ends in each of their last five fixtures.

Keegan Bradley seems motivated by the idea of being a playing captain at the Ryder Cup. The 2011 PGA champion sits between Lowry and Straka in the PGA Tour’s strokes-gained tee-to-green rankings and has been a model of consistency this season, with his only missed cut coming at the Masters.

He followed that up with an eighth-place finish at the PGA Championship and seventh at the Memorial. He looks poised for a strong showing.

Patience and experience should prove vital this week, and American Harris English possesses both attributes in spades.

English has relished tough US Open tests, finishing fourth at Winged Foot in 2020, third at Torrey Pines in 2021, and eighth at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.

He was runner-up at the US PGA Championship, 12th at the Memorial in his most recent outing, while his one win this year came at Torrey Pines’ South in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Sepp Straka is in the form of his life, winning the American Express in January, and triumphing again in Pennsylvania at last month’s Truist Championship.

He missed the cut at the US PGA Championship, but he rebounded superbly at the Memorial, where only Scheffler and Ben Griffin outscored him through 72 holes.

The Austrian hasn’t thrived at US Opens, but he’s been a runner-up at the Open Championship and finished seventh at the 2023 PGA Championship behind two-time US Open winner Brooks Koepka. Straka ranks fourth in strokes-gained tee-to-green on the PGA Tour this year.

Shane Lowry ranks second behind only Scheffler in strokes-gained tee-to-green on the PGA Tour this season, and the Irishman could go one better than when runner-up at last Oakmont US Open.

Lowry was superb through three rounds in 2016, before a final-round 76, combined with Johnson’s brilliance, saw him limp to a share of second place.

He posted four rounds in the 60s in Canada last week, striking his irons well, and he should contend again at a Major venue that suits his game.

Swedish star Ludvig Aberg looks tailor-made for the ball-striking test Oakmont provides, and he could be peaking at the right time following an encouraging display at last week’s Canadian Open.

The 25-year-old has been inconsistent at the Majors – missing the cut at the PGA Championship last month – but he’s also finished second and seventh in two Masters starts, and placed 12th in this event at Pinehurst last year, where his tee-to-green game stood out.

After a 16th-place finish at the Memorial Tournament, Aberg started slowly in Canada, which was perhaps no surprise as he had prioritised practicing at Oakmont before travelling north of the border, but he caught fire over the weekend, carding rounds of 65 and 66 to finish tied 13th.

He hasn’t been especially consistent this year, but that’s factored into his price. And it’s worth remembering that his lone 2025 win came at Torrey Pines South, another US Open venue, in the Genesis Invitational.

Justin Thomas has struggled in his last two Masters starts – no surprise given the downturn in his form generally – but he ended 2024 by finishing second and third in his last two events. He’s well suited to Augusta, where his approach play and scrambling ability are huge assets.

Rory McIlroy’s first PGA Tour title came at the Charlotte venue in 2010 and he’s gone on to win the Wells Fargo Championship at the course on a further three occasions. He is comfortable at Quail Hollow and looks an obvious title threat if he can hold it together mentally.

A runner-up in 2022 and third in 2023, the exacting test which the US Open usually provides should prove to be ideal for such a marvellous ball-striker as Scottie Scheffler.

Tommy Fleetwood is one of the best exponents of links golf in the world, finishing in the top 12 in four of the last six Opens. Expect him to make another bold run at the Claret Jug come July.

Aryna Sabalenka dominated the hard courts on the WTA tour last year, winning 40 of her 49 matches on the surface, and she claimed both the Australian Open and US Open titles. She can be devastating in Melbourne, winning 27 of her last 28 matches at the Grand Slam in the last three seasons.

Iga Swiatek remains the undisputed queen of clay on the WTA tour. The Pole has won the title at Roland Garros three seasons running as well as in 2020 and she has lost just twice in 37 matches at the clay-court Grand Slam.

Last season’s ATP Tour was pretty much dominated by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who each won two of the four Grand Slam titles, and between them it should be another stellar year. Alcaraz reigned supreme at Wimbledon, making it back-to-back titles at the All England Club, and Novak Djokovic’s obvious decline at 37 years of age makes the Spaniard a worthy favourite to rack up the hat-trick.

At the back end of a gruelling season, the US Open can sometimes throw up strange results and there are often surprises before the September silverware is eventually secured. It could, therefore, be worth going against the head of the market and hard-court specialist Daniil Medvedev ticks plenty of boxes at a nice price.

Joaquin Panichelli assisted all three of Mirandes’ goals in the first leg of this tie and has five assists in his last four appearances for the club.

After a first-leg thriller, back both teams to score given that Racing saw 60 goals scored across their 21 away trips this term. The hosts should be happy with a slender 2-1 win to progress to the final.

Mirandes won all of their regular season home meetings with the top five, while they won 15 and lost one of 21 home matches over the campaign. Racing had to fight-back late to rescue a 3-3 draw at home, while they lost five of their six visits to the top seven.

Mirandes won all of their regular season home meetings with the top five, while they won 15 and lost one of 21 home matches over the campaign. Racing had to fight-back late to rescue a 3-3 draw at home, while they lost five of their six visits to the top seven.

Comerciantes Unidos are second-bottom in the Peruvian top flight and are winless in their last six games. They lost to nil in their last away game, while Alianza Atletico have won their last six games and conceded just one goal in the process.

The first leg of this tie was a 3-3 thriller, and underdogs Racing Santander have scored 60 goals in 21 away games this season, while Mirandes have seen both teams score in five of their last six at home.

Mirandes won all of their regular-season home meetings with the top five, while they won 15 and lost one of 21 home matches over the campaign. Racing had to fight back late to rescue a 3-3 draw at home, while they lost five of their six visits to the top seven. They have scored 60 goals in 21 away games, though, so they should be able to find the net.

Mirandes forward Izeta scored one of the side’s three goals in the first leg and has found the net in three of his last four starts for the club, taking his tally to 13 for the season.

RB Bragantino have won their last three games and five of their last six at home, while opponents Bahia are on a five-game losing streak away from home in all competitions and have lost eight of their nine trips to RB Bragantino.

These sides met last week in a 1-1 draw and both teams have scored in each of Deportes Tolima’s last four games, while Deportes Tolima have seen goals at both ends in each of their last five fixtures.

RB Bragantino have won their last three games and five of their last six at home, while opponents Bahia are on a five-game losing streak away from home in all competitions and have lost eight of their nine trips to RB Bragantino.

Vasco are winless in their last ten away games in all competitions and have lost seven of their last eight trips. They have scored in seven of these ten winless away days, though, and could get on the scoresheet against a Sao Paulo side without a clean sheet in four home games, although the hosts have won two of their last three in front of their own fans.

Santos have scored just two goals in their last six competitive away games and under 2.5 goals has landed in five of these, while Fortaleza have only scored once in their last three at home, with under 2.5 goals landing in each of them.

Deportes Iquique are rock-bottom of the Chile Primera Division and have lost their last six competitive matches, while Colo Colo head into this tie off the back of a three-game winning streak.

RB Bragantino have won their last three games and five of their last six at home, while opponents Bahia are on a five-game losing streak away from home in all competitions and have lost eight of their nine trips to RB Bragantino.

Vasco are winless in their last ten away games in all competitions and have lost seven of their last eight trips. They have scored in seven of these ten winless away days, though, and could get on the scoresheet against a Sao Paulo side without a clean sheet in four home games, although the hosts have won two of their last three in front of their own fans.

Santos have scored just two goals in their last six competitive away games and under 2.5 goals has landed in five of these, while Fortaleza have only scored once in their last three at home, with under 2.5 goals landing in each of them.

Only 13 goals have been scored across Gremio’s last nine competitive home games, with under 2.5 goals being a winner in all nine of these. Fewer than three goals have been scored in eight of Corinthians’ last ten on the road.

Vasco are winless in their last ten away games in all competitions and have lost seven of their last eight trips. They have scored in seven of these ten winless away days, though, and could get on the scoresheet against a Sao Paulo side without a clean sheet in four home games, although the hosts have won two of their last three in front of their own fans.

These sides met last week in a 1-1 draw and both teams have scored in each of Deportes Tolima’s last four games, while Deportes Tolima have seen goals at both ends in each of their last five fixtures.

NYCFC sit 10th overall in the East but they’ve got the fourth best home record in the division with 18 points from nine games. City can make home advantage count against another team who are poor travellers, with Atlanta yet to win on the road in MLS (D2, L5).

Independiente Santa Fe beat Atletico Nacional 2-1 last week to make it five wins in their last seven games, while Atletico Nacional are winless in six matches, losing four of them, and haven’t won away from home since March.