It may seem funny here, but it's not entirely like that. Nurkic recorded 3 triple-doubles in a row three weeks ago, then got sick, missed a game, and now played a little under minutes, but I believe he should rise soon. Last game 23 minutes, 6 points, 14 rebounds, and the entire fourth quarter spent on the bench with all the starting players, even though they had a big lead after the third period. Today, they are playing against Miami, who play at a very fast pace, and their games usually have a lot of points with many attacks. I hope Nurkic plays more minutes, and while there aren't many players who can replace him, they both contribute a lot on offense, not just scoring points, but also with rebounds.
Elise Mertens - 30m shows solid game, similar to Romanian Cirstea, who caught good form in her late age. Last year was one of the most successful for Mertens in her career, she won two WTA titles and reached one final. This year, she defeated Krejcikova and Mboko, advancing to the 4th round of the Australian Open. She has a strong serve, handles the ball well on court, and is technically skilled. Daria Kasatkina is completely out of form and last year was difficult for her, with no noteworthy achievements. In this tournament, she has played five matches, winning only one. She has become a player with declining performance and has weak serves, with a significant increase in unforced errors, something that didn't happen before.
Elise Mertens - at the age of 30, she shows solid play against Ghana, similar to Romanian Cirstea, who has caught good form in her career. Last year was one of the most successful for Mertens as she won two WTA titles and lost one final. This year, she has already beaten Krejcikova and Mboko, reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. She has a strong serve and handles the ball well on the court, with good technical ability.
Daria Kasatkina is completely out of form, last year was tough and overall nothing good. She has only won one out of five matches before this tournament. She has become a player who is declining in the course of the tournament, with very weak serves, and has started to make quite a few unforced errors, which didn't happen before.
Since I had to choose between Westbrook and Clifford points overio, I won't take Cliffordo points, but I'll take 3PTs. I already mentioned that LaVine is injured, so we can add Monk, not to mention Mcdemort or Sabonis who are on the bench. The Kings won't have many options in offense tonight. Clifford is a young and growing player, in the last 5 games he played a lot of minutes and in 4 of them he scored at least 2 3PTs.
4 consecutive wins and a good performance, as well as beating serious opponents from the English league, allows us to hope that United will finally achieve 5 consecutive wins. Carrick's inspiration seems to have rejuvenated the team and the new tactics are proving to be successful so far. West Ham, who are fighting for survival, seem to be a great opponent to secure 3 points against. Although they are not known for their consistency, they are currently in great form and look strong from all aspects.
One of the most productive teams in the league, on average scoring and conceding 3 goals against each other, must show stability. From the last 6 meetings, 5 ended with 3 or more goals, and currently both teams have looked very good in attack and often concede. Both teams play an attacking style, so there should be goals.
The team promoting an effective style of basketball, Spain, has already managed to prove it by scoring 184 points. Now, in the game against Czech Republic, we can also expect a high number of points and a total line for Peru. The team that is capable of playing offense very well, but does not excel in defense, should aim for such a line.
In this season, AEK managed to defeat the Karditsas team 3 times, with 1 win at home. In all the winning matches, AEK celebrated with a larger margin than the handicap given, and the form of the teams also differs greatly. AEK has won 10 times in a row, while Karditsas has lost 9 times in a row, so the bet looks very good.
Although the Greeks celebrated the period in Peru recently, it is still one of the most disappointing teams in the European Cup. Besiktas is a very solid team and has played very successfully everywhere this season, including Peru. They won 18 points at home against Panionios and now we can expect another convincing performance from Besiktas on their away game, as they are significantly stronger.
This is simple logic. Misiunas has always beaten Rimkenzo, and surely Misiunas was not in good athletic shape, one fight with Rimkenzo was even after closing. Rimkenzo also beat the same Matiukov, who did not seem very solid. Since then, Misiunas seems to take combat sports more seriously, and also contributed to the return to Sparta Gym.
Zygimantas finally broke through in the UTMA tournament and won against Peru, which was crucial for him psychologically. Until then, it didn't seem like Kiudelis would be poorly prepared for the psychological aspect or that those losses would affect him, but after the last Peru and upcoming tournament conference, it was obvious that he lacked it. He had the maximum self-confidence and even Kiudelis himself intimidated his opponent. Majauskas was a very weak opponent, from what we've seen in UTMA, he definitely doesn't attract professional ringers. Kiudelis had stronger opponents before and had to harden himself.
The teams playing at a high pace in the ABA league are collecting impressive numbers on offense. One major difference between the teams is their style, and as a result, we can expect serious basketball, as their serious basketball is a kind of point race. Both teams throw out 60+ shots per game and reaching the 90-point mark is a calm day at the office. Even though the games are important, and after two games, the teams' offensive abilities and Partizan's home handicap are giving hope that the home team will fight and play just as productively as Dubai.
Although Maccabi and the leaders in this league stage have only managed to escape the bottom by 1 point, after a double week, the Turkish Maccabi team should feel strong. With injuries, Maccabi cannot boast of a long or strong bench, and Israel has recently had rare large differences. although the Raanana team wins very few games and has experienced losses by large margins, it is still a fighting team and maintains distance, so I do not expect a complete defeat.
I think it is possible to test out the Milan team against the weakest team in the league. After 2 consecutive losses, Italy Milan finally has a win and the opponent is realistically better. The Treviso team often loses to very strong teams by double-digit margins, and they also celebrated a victory with a 24-point difference against Milan on the road. After two good performances in the Euroleague and in good spirits, I expect the Milan team to secure a win.
Although local player Barrena, who has already played 3 tournaments on clay this season, is considered a serious opponent for Kopriva based on rankings, he does not seem to be. Even though Argentina struggles in the Challenger league, he will be defeated by a very solid Czech player who plays well on clay. Even though Vitas is playing on clay for the first time this season, as a skilled tennis player, he should dominate and celebrate a victory against Peruvian opponent.
One of the stronger ATP clay court players, Djere begins his clay season and an interesting opponent awaits him right after the final. I think the veteran is heavily underrated, as the Serbian can play very well on this surface, especially since he arrives here after the final of a Challenger tournament in the same city. There isn't much time to recover, and when the opponent is a solid one from Peru, the result should be in favor of the Serbian.
One of the strongest home teams, Rome, has been unlucky in all matches this season, but still manages to gather an average of 2 points in the Seria A league, which looks very promising. The opponents are weaker middle-level teams who have won against Rome at home, but it should not be expected for them to gain any points when playing away. In the last 4 home games against each other, Rome has been the winner, so they should continue their good streak.
Although the ranking of both tennis players is similar, I will start by addressing the big question of whether this match will even take place. On Sunday at 4 pm, Mannarino from France is playing in a final, and then will immediately have to board a plane and play here. If the match does happen, the Australian looks like a clear favorite. He hasn't been playing well this season, but hard courts suit him, while the French player has had a good tournament and we will see how he performs right after getting off the plane.
Although Newcastle team has been struggling on away matches, this game seems very favorable for a win. Tottenham, who have a lot of injured players, have also lost their captain Romero, who received a red card in a match against United and was unable to finish the game due to injury. Although Newcastle's form is not great, they should be able to beat Tottenham's reserve team, and the odds are good as well.
Bucks leaving the East is a serious possibility, especially with such high odds. Giannis is having another incredible season and it doesn't seem like his form will decline. Ryan Rollins is becoming a great player. Kevin Porter Jr is not yet there, but he will be, and if we don't count his non-basketball related issues, he is a great player. AJ Green is a complete sniper who can make shots in every game. Myles Turner is struggling right now, but he will start making shots soon. The recipe for the Bucks is clear - Giannis is the main man and the shooters are placed around him, and with this team, it's possible to win championships.
The main contenders will most likely be Cleveland, 76ers, and Knicks, maybe even Orlando, but it's disappointing and unclear which of them will rise this season.
Outrights (NBA 2025/26 - To Reach the Playoffs - Golden State Warriors : NO) @500 4/10
The West is very competitive. In the past years, it was not clear who would rank in the top 4 - 11.
The Spurs will still be in the mix, and the Rockets look strong. It's too early to count out the Kings.
Curry is 37 years old, Butler is 36, and Draymond is 35, so the core players are getting older and could potentially face the same injuries.
Overall, my weak teams' championship looks promising this year. Despite their lack of experience in the championship, they often rise up to the Premier League. The rest of the teams don't have much chance unless these options occur:
Leicester - I believe they will bounce back, although they have struggled a bit. They still have a strong team and if they don't lose their morale after dropping down to the championship, I think they can definitely fight for promotion this season.
Middlesbrough - A good team in good form, nothing can stop them this season. I think they can definitely promote to the Premier League together with Leicester.
Coventry - Thanks to Lampard's magic, they have a shot at first place. I believe they have good chemistry and can rise to the Premier League, as long as they maintain their form.
In my opinion, these are the only options that can compete for promotion to the Premier league. The rest are either in bad form or good form, but I don't think they will last long. Leicester, on the other hand, is used to the championship and immediately bounces back to the Premier League. They have struggled with injuries in the Premier League but now I see that their players are no longer injured and in good form (sadly, some have left). But their main player, Abdul Fatawu (remember the name), can lead this team if he doesn't get injured. The team still has good players and promising talents, so I think they can continue their tradition.
First long-term bet for the new full season. Chelsea's coefficient is still over 2, which means they will finish in the Top 4, and I have no doubts about that. Last season, they finished fourth and strengthened their team impressively at the end of the season. It was clear that this young team is a force to be reckoned with, winning two trophies and beating PSG gave them a lot of confidence going forward. So yes, Chelsea will play Champions League football, but in terms of the main competition for the fourth place, I see Newcastle as the main rival and I don't think they have strengthened enough to challenge for it. As for the other teams, United and Tottenham? United have made too much progress in just one season and Tottenham have a lower level than Chelsea, plus they are also in the Champions League. Aston Villa seems destined for relegation and I don't see any other contenders. Overall, I believe Chelsea is closer to joining the top three of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, rather than fighting for the Top 4 spot, which I don't see them achieving in the upcoming Premier League season.