Spain were 3-2 winners over hosts Slovakia in their opening game, so expect them to brush aside a Romanian team who struggled to finish their chances against Italy in a 1-0 defeat.

France need a victory following a 0-0 draw with Portugal in their opening game. Back them to hold firm against a Georgian side that were fortunate to win 2-1 against Poland, recording just three shots on target in that win.

Slovakia lost 3-2 against Spain in their opening game, while Italy conceded a host of chances in their 1-0 win over Romania and three of their previous four have seen BTTS land.

Each of Poland’s last five matches have seen both teams score, including their 2-1 loss to Georgia in their opening match. Portugal are in need of a win, but they’ve conceded in six of their previous seven matches.

The first three games of this series have shown that the Thunder are struggling to contain this Pacers side, with Indiana scoring 111, 107, and 116 points so far. The Thunder’s only victory game in Game 2, when they clicked offensively to secure a 123-107 win. Indiana’s record in low-scoring games in this playoff run is poor, as they’re 0-5 when they score less than 110 points. Meanwhile, the Thunder know they need to step up offensively, so the over appeals.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

San Jose have lost half of their away trips this term, scoring in each defeat. The visitors have lost their three most difficult away trips, but they’ve yet to face a side as strong as Portland, who sit eighth overall in MLS. The hosts have won back-to-back home matches 2-1, so get behind them to win and concede.

Both teams look evenly matched and with them both featuring in game with plenty of goals, this should see pelnty of goalmouth action from both sides with both teams scoring.

Landskrona are averaging two goals a game away from home, and should be able to get on the scoresheet here, but it will likely not be enough and Kalmar will take this with a 2-1 win

Falkenberg have had a good start to the season, particularly at home, they face a Helsingborg side who don’t see many games in their away games. The visitors have drawn a blank in three straight games, so a routine 2-0 win appeals.

Neither team see a lot of goals with Umeå averaging under a goal a game while Sundsval average just a goal a game. Expect this to be low scoring with under 2.5 goals likely.

Both sides have struggled offensively, with Sligo failing to score in a third of their matches and Waterford averaging just over a goal per game. Recent head-to-head meetings at The Showgrounds have also been tight affairs, and with little attacking confidence on display, a low-scoring contest looks likely.

Each of Poland’s last five matches have seen both teams score, including their 2-1 loss to Georgia in their opening match. Portugal are in need of a win, but they’ve conceded in six of their previous seven matches.

LA Galaxy picked up a first win of the season last time out at the 17th attempt but could be brought back down to earth in St Louis. Galaxy have been woeful on the road with just two points from nine trips, while St Louis won their last home game and have been picking up results at CITYPARK with just one defeat in their last five at this venue across all comps. St Louis have never lost to Galaxy in MLS and they can keep that run going with a victory on Saturday.

We’re backing PSG to win the competition and the Golden Ball recipient will almost certainly come from the champions’ squad. Georgian attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia stands out as a strong outside candidate after an excellent finish to the campaign with PSG.

Lionel Messi has been in sensational form for Inter Miami in the last couple of weeks with five goals in his last three games, he can continue his hot-streak with an anytime effort against Al Ahly.

Porto are the favourites to take top spot in Group A, but Palmeiras look to have the biggest chance of upsetting the odds in the group stage.

The Brazilian side have won two of the last three Serie A and two of the last four Copa Libertadores titles. They have two future stars in the making in 18-year-old winger Estevao and 20-year-old former Barcelona striker Vitor Roque, while former Lazio and West Ham man Felipe Anderson offers experience to the squad.

Porto finished the season 11 points adrift of Primeira Liga winners Sporting, and inexperienced manager Martin Anselmi still has plenty of questions to answer.

Atletico Madrid finished the season with just six wins from their final 15 matches, and they look unlikely to come up trumps against a jubilant PSG side in Group B.

Les Parisiens have looked unstoppable over the past six months and possess one of the most exciting young squads on the planet, and they will be looking to build on a historic treble-winning season in their maiden Club World Cup appearance, while it’s hard to see outsiders Botafogo or Seattle Sounders putting up much of a fight.

Bayern Munich successfully reclaimed the Bundesliga title last season, and while they didn’t manage to make it to a home Champions League final, they are still a far superior side than Benfica, Boca Juniors, and Auckland City.

The Portuguese side lost both the Primeira Liga and the Taca de Portugal titles to Sporting, and they have never beaten the Bavarian side, losing their last five encounters.

Similarly to PSG, Chelsea will be buoyed by their UEFA Conference League victory and their top-five finish in the Premier League, and there will be plenty of fringe players hoping to make a good impression on Enzo Maresca this summer.

9/4 Flamengo may be a threat, especially after former Arsenal midfielder Jorginho joined the club, but I still don’t see the 2022 Copa Libertadores winners beating the Blues.

It’s tempting to say that Inter Milan’s failure to retain the Serie A title and their demolition in the Champions League final should leave them vulnerable to an upset in the United States, but they have been handed a favourable draw, and it is hard to see any of their competitors troubling them.

River Plate are second-favourites, but their squad just isn’t there right now, with 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono the only real star in the Argentine camp, while Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey are huge outsiders.

Like Inter Milan, it’s tempting to back against Borussia Dortmund following their disappointing fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga this season, but they did end the campaign with six straight victories, and the competition just isn’t there in Group F.

Fluminense are 2/1 to top the group, but even the winning experience of 40-year-0ld centre-back Thiago Silva is unlikely to drag what is a relatively underwhelming squad to the top, and neither 12/1 Ulsan Hyundai or 25/1 Mamelodi Sundowns are likely to challenge the Germans.

Manchester City are 2/5 favourites to win Group G, but that seems far too short for a side that regularly missed the mark en route to only their second trophyless season since Pep Guardiola joined the club.

They have lost Kevin De Bruyne, and it is unknown how seriously Guardiola will take this competition after his numerous complaints about fixture congestion.

Juventus had a poor season as they finished 12 points behind Serie A winners Napoli, but 11 points from their last five games secured them a top-four berth, and they are unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Citizens, including a 2-0 win over them in December.

Europe’s most successful side have been handed arguably the softest group in the entire competition, and they are justified 1/6 favourites to beat Al-Hilal, Red Bull Salzburg, and Pachuca to the top spot.

Los Blancos will be out for redemption after failing to win La Liga, the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey in 2024/25, and their star-studded lineup, including European Golden Shoe winner Kylian Mbappe, should breeze past their opponents.

Kylian Mbappe won the European Golden Shoe thanks to a phenomenal end to the season, and he continued that form into the international break last week.

The Real Madrid star has scored 12 goals in his last eight appearances for club and country, netting 45 goals in total this season.

PSG will carry a lot of confidence into the Club World Cup following their historic treble-winning season.

They have looked almost unstoppable since they recovered from a 2-0 deficit to beat Manchester City in January, and their young stars will be eager for more silverware in Les Parisiens’ maiden Club World Cup adventure.

Real Madrid, Pachuca, Al-Hilal, Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca make up Group H and these four teams could provide the most goals in the group stages. Real are a level above all their rivals and could wrack up the goals, while Salzburg, Al-Hilal and Pachuca should all be able to hurt each other.

Flamengo should be able to get out of a Group D that contains Chelsea, LAFC and Espérance de Tunis. If they can get out the group they only need to win one knockout fixture to reach the last eight, and their strong form in South America suggests the Brazilians could be potential dark horses at the Club World Cup.

Alexander Sorloth was Atletico Madrid’s top marksman in La Liga with 20 goals but he only managed four further strikes across 15 appearances in cup competitions. In contrast, Julian Alvarez came into his own in the cups with 12 goals in 17 appearances – giving him a total of 29 strikes across all comps – and seven of those efforts came across his 10 outings in the Champions League. Alvarez stands out as the best bet to be Los Colchoneros’ leading scorer in the States.

The goals could flow in this Superettan fixture. Orebro have scored eight goals and conceded 10 across their last three games, while there have been at least four goals scored in two of Sandviken’s last four league games. Both of these teams look capable of contributing and over 3.5 goals appeals.

Shamrock Rovers have won five of their last six matches, while they meet a Shelbourne side who have lost three of their last seven to see their title chances unravel. The visitors have scored 14 goals across their last six, conceding only twice, so back them to have too much for the hosts. Both of Shelbourne’s home defeats this season have finished 1-0, while they’ve lost to nil in all four of their setbacks this term. Shamrock Rovers have conceded only twice across their last six matches.

Three of the last four meetings between these two sides have finished level, while the visitors have drawn half of their away trips this season. St Pats have drawn four of nine at home, so back this contest to finish level. Drogheda have scored 1.1 goals and conceded 1.1 per away trip, so a 1-1 draw stands out.

Derry City have a strong home record, with four wins in their last six at Brandywell Stadium, and face a Galway side struggling for form and goals. With the visitors winless in five of their last six and blanking in three straight away games, the hosts are rightly favoured.

Shamrock Rovers have won five of their last six matches, while they meet a Shelbourne side who have lost three of their last seven to see their title chances unravel. The visitors have scored 14 goals across their last six, conceding only twice, so back them to have too much for the hosts.

St Pats won 1-0 at bottom side Sligo Rovers in their last game, but before that they had won once in five league games. The hosts have won four of five clashes at home to bottom-half sides, but they’ve won once in four against the top five, failing to win any of their five clashes with the top two, including two draws with Drogheda.

Bohemians are surging with four wins in their last five and have impressed away from home, winning three of their last four on the road. Cork, by contrast, are winless in nine of their last ten and have failed to keep a single clean sheet at home all season. Backing Bohs to take the points makes solid sense.

Daniel Mullen has five goals in his last nine outings for Derry and he’s hit four in total across his side’s last four home games. The Scottish forward looks the standout bet for an anytime effort against Galway.

Drogheda have scored 1.1 goals and conceded 1.1 per away trip. Both teams have scored in three of St Pats’ last five games and they have just one clean sheet in their last six, while the Drogs have seen goals at both ends in five of their last seven away from home.

Both teams have scored in three of Cajamarca’s last four games and they have just two clean sheets in their last nine. There have been goals at both ends in four of Grau’s last five overall and in each of their last three away assignments.

Derry City have a strong home record, with four wins in their last six at Brandywell Stadium, and face a Galway side struggling for form and goals. With the visitors winless in five of their last six and blanking in three straight away games, the hosts are rightly favoured.

Cajamarca sit one point and one place below Grau in the standings but their home form has been encouraging of late, with three wins in their last four at this venue. The visitors are yet to win away and look set for another loss here, although goals at both ends are expected as Grau have scored in each of their last three road games.