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.

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.

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. 

The Gotemba course at the Taiheiyo Club is a typically tight Japanese track where accuracy and course management are key and while Bezuidenhout and Pavon deserve their place at the top of the market, it looks likely there will be a strong home challenge.

The chances are it will be led by Keita Nakajima, who leads the money list on the Japan Tour and claimed a four-shot victory in the last DP World Tour event, the Indian Open, at the end of March.

Nakajima is 23 but already has a wealthof experience and the knowledge he has gleaned from playing the Taiheiyo Masters, an event that has been played on the Japan Tour since 1977 at this venue, should give him a boost.

He demonstrated in Delhi that he can be a force at DPWT level and while his 20th on his course outing last year may not be spectacular, he was third here in 2020 and is capable of playing well again.

The fact the Masters was followed by one of the PGA Tour’s designated events means many of the biggest names are taking a break this week, but that provides opportunities for others and Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatrois are in the sort of form that suggests a strong team at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Theegala found only the unstoppable Scottie Scheffler too strong for him at last week’s RBC Heritage and that was his fifth top-ten finish of the year.

Zalatoris continues to make progress too after missing a large portion of 2023 with a back injury.

Those issues seem to be behind him now and while his Heritage campaign faded after a promising start, he was ninth at the Masters and has also performed well at other big tournaments, claiming top-five spots at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He flourished in this unusual format when he was fourth alongside Riley two years ago and could have partnered him again last year had he not been injured, so that should provide extra motivation.

The Gotemba course at the Taiheiyo Club is a typically tight Japanese track where accuracy and course management are key and while Bezuidenhout and Pavon deserve their place at the top of the market, it looks likely there will be a strong home challenge.

The chances are it will be led by Keita Nakajima, who leads the money list on the Japan Tour and claimed a four-shot victory in the last DP World Tour event, the Indian Open, at the end of March.

Nakajima is 23 but already has a wealthof experience and the knowledge he has gleaned from playing the Taiheiyo Masters, an event that has been played on the Japan Tour since 1977 at this venue, should give him a boost.

He demonstrated in Delhi that he can be a force at DPWT level and while his 20th on his course outing last year may not be spectacular, he was third here in 2020 and is capable of playing well again.

The fact the Masters was followed by one of the PGA Tour’s designated events means many of the biggest names are taking a break this week, but that provides opportunities for others and Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatrois are in the sort of form that suggests a strong team at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Theegala found only the unstoppable Scottie Scheffler too strong for him at last week’s RBC Heritage and that was his fifth top-ten finish of the year.

Zalatoris continues to make progress too after missing a large portion of 2023 with a back injury.

Those issues seem to be behind him now and while his Heritage campaign faded after a promising start, he was ninth at the Masters and has also performed well at other big tournaments, claiming top-five spots at the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He flourished in this unusual format when he was fourth alongside Riley two years ago and could have partnered him again last year had he not been injured, so that should provide extra motivation.

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.

Wellington Phoenix have never won the A-League Premier title but they head into their final game of the regular season top of the table. They have won five successive home league games and Macarthur, who are safe in the play-off zone and have little to play for, have lost two of their last four.

Newcastle Jets have nothing but pride to play for and have won just one of their last seven home A-League games, while Central Coast Mariners are in the hunt for the A-League Premier trophy and have won seven of their last eight, including four of their last five on the road.

Western Sydney Wanderers are still in with a chance of making the A-League play-offs but need to go for it in Melbourne. They have hit a rough patch lately but have still seen both teams score in eight of their last nine league games, while the hosts have conceded in eight of their last nine games.

Wellington Phoenix have never won the A-League Premier title but they head into their final game of the regular season top of the table. They have won five successive home league games and Macarthur, who are safe in the play-off zone and have little to play for, have lost two of their last four.

Both teams have scored in six of Sheffield United’s last seven Premier League games and they can breach Newcastle’s defences, given the home team’s injuries. However the Blades have lost 13 of their 17 away games and look likely to fall to another.

RB Leipzig have won five of their last six meetings with Borussia Dortmund and they should be too strong once again for their top-four rivals

Manchester United should have too much for a Burnley side that have lost 21 league outings this season, but their defensive issues should give the Clarets a fighting chance. Burnley have scored in four of their last five and Manchester United have shipped 13 goals in their last five competitive outings.

With just two defeats in their last nine games in all competitions, Aston Villa are tightening their grasp on the Premier League top-four spots and they can see off Chelsea, who were humbled 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday.

Juventus have only won two of their last 12 league games and Milan have a solid away record, winning six of their last eight in the league.

Palace are finishing the season with a burst of good results and while Fulham’s inconsistency means taking the draw-no-bet option may be sensible, the visitors could gain another success

Monza have hit a rough patch but they have ambitions of a top-half finish and can draw confidence from some excellent away results this term. They have only lost one of their last five Serie A away days and Lecce have lost two of their last four at home.

Athletic Bilbao have won all three meetings with Atletico Madrid this season and haven’t conceded a single goal in the process, so they can emerge on top in this crucial top-four battle.

Palace are finishing the season with a burst of good results and while Fulham’s inconsistency means taking the draw-no-bet option may be sensible, the visitors could gain another success

Monza have hit a rough patch but they have ambitions of a top-half finish and can draw confidence from some excellent away results this term. They have only lost one of their last five Serie A away days and Lecce have lost two of their last four at home.

Both teams have scored in six of Sheffield United’s last seven Premier League games and they can breach Newcastle’s defences, given the home team’s injuries. However the Blades have lost 13 of their 17 away games and look likely to fall to another.

RB Leipzig have won five of their last six meetings with Borussia Dortmund and they should be too strong once again for their top-four rivals

Manchester United should have too much for a Burnley side that have lost 21 league outings this season, but their defensive issues should give the Clarets a fighting chance. Burnley have scored in four of their last five and Manchester United have shipped 13 goals in their last five competitive outings.

Nine of Anthony Gordon’s 11 goals for Newcastle this season have come at St James’ Park and he looks likely to add to that tally.

Jean-Philippe Mateta has been the figurehead of Palace’s recent good form, scoring twice against both West ham and Newcastle, and he can boost his Premier League tally.

Lois Openda has scored 27 goals in all competitions this season, including four in his last three outings, and the in-form striker can add to his tally

Alejandro Garnacho has been in fine form recently and has netted seven times in 25 league starts, take him to add to that tally against a Burnley side that have conceded 69 times in 34 games.

Calvert-Lewin scored when these two sides met earlier this season and the forward has looked good in recent weeks, scoring in three of his last four appearances. After his strike against Liverpool in midweek, Calvert-Lewin should cause Brentford some issues.

Ollie Watkins is among the leading scorers in the Premier League with 19 goals and he should have the chance to score against a permeable Chelsea side at Villa Park.

Both teams have scored in six of Sheffield United’s last seven Premier League games and they can breach Newcastle’s defences, given the home team’s injuries. However the Blades have lost 13 of their 17 away games and look likely to fall to another.

RB Leipzig have won five of their last six meetings with Borussia Dortmund and they should be too strong once again for their top-four rivals

Manchester United should have too much for a Burnley side that have lost 21 league outings this season, but their defensive issues should give the Clarets a fighting chance. Burnley have scored in four of their last five and Manchester United have shipped 13 goals in their last five competitive outings.

Five of Manchester United’s last seven league games have gone over 3.5 goals and a repeat of that looks likely when they face a Burnley side that have scored in six of their last seven.

At least three goals have been scored in three of Lazio’s last four home games and also in three of Verona’s last five Serie A matches. We can expect to see Lazio involved in more high-scoring matches as Igor Tudor puts his stamp on the team.

Goals could be on the cards at the Allianz Arena when Bayern Munich host Eintracht Frankfurt. Frankfurt won the reverse fixture 5-1 in December and five of Bayern’s last eight games have featured over 3.5 goals.

Gent have been on a goalscoring rampage at home recently, with the top-spot holders netting 13 across their last three on home soil, while Westerlo have conceded three times in three of their last four league games.

Vitoria Guimaraes have suffered successive defeats but these came away to Porto and Sporting and they should be able to get their European hunt back on track at Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques this weekend.The fifth-placed side have won six of their last nine league games in Guimaraes, including a win against league-leaders Sporting. They face a Boavista side still not safe from the drop after picking up just 30 points from 30 games. The visitors are winless in five league matches and have lost eight of their last 11 league trips.

Saturday’s late game in La Liga is a showdown for the final Champions League spot, with three points splitting these two sides. Atletico Madrid are hoping their fine home record can see them move six clear of fifth, but that didn’t play out when these two met the Copa del Rey earlier this year.Athletic have had Atleti’s number across three meetings this term. They won 2-0 in the first La Liga clash back in December, before a 1-0 win in Madrid and a 3-0 home victory across the two legs of their cup semi-final.Athletic went on to lift the cup and they can cap an incredible season with a late charge for fourth. Given that a win on Saturday would also give Athletic the head-to-head tiebreaker, expect them to go all out for a third win in four visits to Atletico.

Aston Villa can take a major step towards a top-four finish with a Villa Park victory over Chelsea on Saturday night and Unai Emery’s men look good value to get the job done.No side has scored more home Premier League goals than Villa this term and it’s hard to see how the Villans frontline doesn’t expose a hapless Chelsea defence.The Blues were crushed 5-0 at Arsenal on Tuesday night and Mauricio Pochettino’s men appear to lack the desire, discipline and commitment to leave Villa Park with any points.

I like the look of Birmingham draw no bet at 6-5 in their big relegation showdown at Huddersfield. Both sides are in the bottom three with just two games to go but Blues are a place and two points above so hold a narrow advantage.If Gary Rowett’s men can at least avoid defeat at the John Smith’s Stadium then they will give themselves a chance of staying up going into the final day and they should be fancied to do it against a struggling Terriers outfit that were hammered 4-0 at home by Swansea last time out.

There is a key battle in the race for the Bundesliga top four on Saturday and Borussia Dortmund can avoid defeat in this crunch clash with Leipzig.Dortmund were minutes away from becoming the first team to beat Bayer Leverkusen this season last Sunday, only for a 97th-minute goal from Josip Stanisic to make it 1-1.But Dortmund have nonetheless shown their class in these kinds of matches recently, having also beaten Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in recent weeks.They have a Champions League semi-final with PSG to prepare for but they can pick up at least a point from this game and can make it 11 away games unbeaten in the Bundesliga.

Only Sheffield United have been worse than Luton away from home and their struggles on the road could be set to continue when they visit Wolves.The Hatters have lost 11 of their 17 away games and are suffering with a number of injury issues.Rob Edwards’ men have lost ten of their last 13 outings in all competitions as their treatment room has filled up and Wolves are fancied to pick up their eighth home victory of the season.

With just two defeats in their last nine games in all competitions, Aston Villa are tightening their grasp on the Premier League top-four spots and they can see off Chelsea, who were humbled 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday.

RB Leipzig have won five of their last six meetings with Borussia Dortmund and they should be too strong once again for their top-four rivals

Manchester United’s defensive issues came to the fore again in midweek as they shipped two at home to Sheffield United and they should concede again against a Burnley side that have seen both teams score in six of their last eight on the road.

However, the Red Devils should be too strong for the Clarets and they have been in fine goalscoring form at home, notching four in midweek.

Sheffield United have been nothing short of atrocious this season and have taken just six points from a possible 51 away from home.

They have scored with regularity recently, but they face a Newcastle side that have netted at least three goals in three of their last four at St James’ Park.

Everton beat Liverpool 2-0 last time out to make it three home wins in a row, so they have the beating of a Brentford side that have lost nine of their last 12 on the road.

The Bees have scored in eight of their last nine top-flight affairs, though, losing by a 2-1 scoreline four times away from home this season.

Chelsea have shipped 11 goals in their last five games and face an Aston Villa with the joint-best attacking record at home this season.

The Villans have averaged 2.53 goals per game at Villa Park and should beat a Chelsea side that were battered by Arsenal in midweek, although the Blues should be able to find the net.

Tottenham have only lost one of their last eight home games against Arsenal and can throw a spanner into the works for their rivals’ title challenge on Sunday.

Both teams have scored in each of Spurs’ last six at home, though, and Arsenal have scored 22 times in their last eight on the road.

Manchester City put four past Brighton in midweek and have now scored at least three goals in five of their last seven Premier League matches, although they have conceded in five of those, too.

Nottingham Forest lost 3-1 at Spurs recently and a similar result could be on the cards at home to the defending champions.

Exeter have made a lot of progress in the second half of the season and can finish on a high by taking at least a point at home to playoff-chasing Oxford. The Grecians are unbeaten in nine games and can stretch that run against Oxford, who need a win to boost their chances of a top-six finish.

Promotion-chasing Norwich have not lost a home game since November and should be too strong for Swansea at Carrow Road. The Canaries have made excellent progress since the turn of the year and should appreciate facing the Swans, who are guaranteed a mid-table finish.

Doncaster need just one more point to make sure of a playoff place and they can gather all three against Gillingham in Kent. Grant McCann’s side have reeled off ten straight wins and should be too slick for the Gills, who have lost three of their last four fixtures.

Bristol City have gone six games unbeaten for the first time this season and can wrap up their home schedule with a victory over basement boys Rotherham. The Robins have posted five clean sheets from their last eight games and should shutout the Millers, who are the league’s lowest scorers.

Both teams have scored in six of Sheffield United’s last seven Premier League games and they can breach Newcastle’s defences, given the home team’s injuries. However the Blades have lost 13 of their 17 away games and look likely to fall to another.

Palace are finishing the season with a burst of good results and while Fulham’s inconsistency means taking the draw-no-bet option may be sensible, the visitors could gain another success

Wolves are without a win in seven and it seems their season all but wrapped up with their FA Cup defeat to Coventry, which was the first of a four-game losing streak for them at Molineux. Every point is vital to Luton at the minute and the Hatters have picked up some solid results on the road this term, so look to them to get something in this trip.

Five of Manchester United’s last seven league games have gone over 3.5 goals and a repeat of that looks likely when they face a Burnley side that have scored in six of their last seven.

Everton have won their last three games at home to push themselves clear of the drop zone. Brentford have been beaten in nine of their last 12 away games and they lost at home to Everton earlier this season. They’ve suffered 11 away defeats in total this term, while the in-form hosts are making the most of home advantage at the moment.

With just two defeats in their last nine games in all competitions, Aston Villa are tightening their grasp on the Premier League top-four spots and they can see off Chelsea, who were humbled 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday.

Everton have won their last three games at home to push themselves clear of the drop zone. Brentford have been beaten in nine of their last 12 away games and they lost at home to Everton earlier this season. They’ve suffered 11 away defeats in total this term, while the in-form hosts are making the most of home advantage at the moment.

Ipswich need to steady the ship but they remain in a great position to claim automatic promotion. The Tractor Boys head to a Hull City who have failed to win any home meeting with the top six, losing six of 10 meetings with them overall. Five of the Tigers’ eight home wins have come against teams in the bottom eight, while only Leicester have more away points than Ipswich.

Vitoria Guimaraes are still in the hunt for European qualification and have won five of their last seven Portuguese Primeira Liga games, while Boavista are not safe from the drop yet and have drawn two and lost five of their last seven away games.

Standard Liege have been poor since the league split but they do have an excellent home record, winning three and drawing two of their last five at home and keeping four clean sheets in the process. Sint-Truiden have lost seven of their last nine league away games.

Ipswich have picked up five 1-0 wins on the road this term and this looks like the perfect time to grind out a win by any means necessary. Hull have struggled against the top sides and they lost by a single goal in two meetings with the top six, so back an away win.The fifth-placed side have won six of their last nine league games in Guimaraes, including a win against league-leaders Sporting. They face a Boavista side still not safe from the drop after picking up just 30 points from 30 games. The visitors are winless in five league matches and have lost eight of their last 11 league trips.

Brentford have scored in eight of their last nine league matches, while they’ve lost 2-1 on four occasions on their travels this term. Three of the last four meetings between these two have seen both teams score, so back Everton to claim a 2-1 victory having scored exactly twice in their last two at Goodison.Athletic have had Atleti’s number across three meetings this term. They won 2-0 in the first La Liga clash back in December, before a 1-0 win in Madrid and a 3-0 home victory across the two legs of their cup semi-final.Athletic went on to lift the cup and they can cap an incredible season with a late charge for fourth. Given that a win on Saturday would also give Athletic the head-to-head tiebreaker, expect them to go all out for a third win in four visits to Atletico.

Ollie Watkins is among the leading scorers in the Premier League with 19 goals and he should have the chance to score against a permeable Chelsea side at Villa Park.

Valentin Castellanos scored twice against Juventus in midweek and could have had two more. The Mendoza marksman has been Igor Tudor’s preferred striker in three of his four games in charge.

With just two defeats in their last nine games in all competitions, Aston Villa are tightening their grasp on the Premier League top-four spots and they can see off Chelsea, who were humbled 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday.

At least three goals have been scored in three of Lazio’s last four home games and also in three of Verona’s last five Serie A matches. We can expect to see Lazio involved in more high-scoring matches as Igor Tudor puts his stamp on the team.

Vitoria Guimaraes are still in the hunt for European qualification and have won five of their last seven Portuguese Primeira Liga games, while Boavista are not safe from the drop yet and have drawn two and lost five of their last seven away games.

Gent have been on a goalscoring rampage at home recently, with the top-spot holders netting 13 across their last three on home soil, while Westerlo have conceded three times in three of their last four league games.

Ipswich need to steady the ship but they remain in a great position to claim automatic promotion. The Tractor Boys head to a Hull City who have failed to win any home meeting with the top six, losing six of 10 meetings with them overall. Five of the Tigers’ eight home wins have come against teams in the bottom eight, while only Leicester have more away points than Ipswich.

PSG have covered a -1 handicap in seven of their last 12 home Ligue 1 matches. Luis Enrique’s side is likely to be stronger than in their 4-1 win at Lorient last weekend. Le Havre are in poor overall form and lost 3-0 at Lille back in February, which may be indicative of how this game will go.

With just two defeats in their last nine games in all competitions, Aston Villa are tightening their grasp on the Premier League top-four spots and they can see off Chelsea, who were humbled 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday.The fifth-placed side have won six of their last nine league games in Guimaraes, including a win against league-leaders Sporting. They face a Boavista side still not safe from the drop after picking up just 30 points from 30 games. The visitors are winless in five league matches and have lost eight of their last 11 league trips.

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.

Top meets bottom in this Mexico Liga MX clash, with Puebla winless across their last 11 league fixtures and losing ten of them. They have scored in six of their last seven, though, while Club America have seen both teams score in each of their last four.

Queretaro have lost their last two matches 2-0 to Mazatland and Guadalajara and now face an in-form Pumas UNAM side who head into this having won their last three league matches by an aggregate scoreline of 7-1, including a 4-0 thrashing of Mazatlan in their last away day.

Top meets bottom in this Mexico Liga MX clash, with Puebla winless across their last 11 league fixtures and losing ten of them. They have scored in six of their last seven, though, while Club America have seen both teams score in each of their last four.