I am surprised at the odds on Stoke City this evening, i believe they are far too high and will gladly accept the generosity of the sports books.

Stoke have lost three times at home this season, but two of those losses were against Tottenham and Man City, I have said it before, Stoke have a very good home record if you leave the elite sides out of it.

They have won three of their last four home games and in Southampton they are not playing a side with a brilliant away record.

The Saints have lost four from seven on the road this season and won just the once, they may have a great home record, but their away form is poor.

The odds on Stoke winning are just too high to be ignored, they are the home side, they have won three from their last four at home, while Southampton have not won in their last four on the road and have lost their last two away games to Hull and Crystal Palace, conceding five and scoring just the once.

A home win for me in this one

I like the look of the draw in this one.

Only three points separate these two in the Championship after 20 game, both are in more or less the same sort of from, Preston have gained one point more than their opponents over the last six games while Forest obviously have home advantage.

I do not have enough confidence in either team to win this game, it is hard to make a case for either side, but the draw does have a lot going for it based on current form and how the teams have performed over the entire season.

The value certainly lies with the draw and that is the pick for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am taking Everton on the spreads.

The only way this pick loses is if Everton lose at home, something that happens rarely, the last big side to visit Goodison Park was United and that ended in a draw.

Take Everton +0.5

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fancy Leicester City in this one.

Borunemouth are no walkovers at home, but the Foxes are on the verge of getting back to last seasons form, they showed their true abilities with the win over Man City at the weekend and I expect them to kick on from that result and get another win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I like Midtjylland but they are struggling on the road at the moment, they have lost their last two away games and three of their last five.

Second placed Brondby are very strong at home, they have won their last three on the bounce and four of their last five, drawing the other, they are seven points clear of third placed Midtjylland and have the momentum and form to extend that lead to ten points.

Take Brondby to win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am taking Young Boys to win this one and collect all three points.

There is a huge gulf between these two teams, Young Boys are second top while Thun are second bottom, Young Boys have won five and drawn one of their last six league games, whereas Thun have won just once in their last six league games and not at all in their last five.

Take Young Boys to win. 

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am taking Tottenham not to lose this game and will be backing them on the spreads.

Form, points and league standing all prove that Tottenham are the better team and United are not as strong at home as they have been in previous seasons.

United continue to struggle while Tottenham have finally got back to winning ways beating Swansea 5-0 last week and winning in the Champions League midweek.

I would not put anyone off backing Spurs to win this game outright, but the safer option at great odds is to back Spurs on the spread.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with Middlesbrough to spring a huge surprise in this one.

Southampton have been struggling recently and are vulnerable, they were lucky to scrape a draw midweek in the Europa League and if there was ever a good time to visit the Saints at their home stadium and win, it is now.

Middlesbrough have done quite well so far considering the strength of their squad, they will probably be battling relegation this season but they have given some of the big teams a hard time this season, as an example, Arsenal Man City and Leicester away, three teams superior to Southampton and three teams that all failed to beat Boro.

This really is an opportunity for Middlesbrough and I fancy them to take it, the circumstances are just right.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with AZ Alkmaar on the spreads.

AZ are strong at home, they are unbeaten at home in the league this season and teams that have failed to win at AZ include the likes of Ajax.

Feyenoord may be top, but they have failed to win their last two away games and are simply not as string on the road as they are at home.

Take AZ on the spreads.

I am taking Vaduz to collect all three points at home today.

Neither team is in good shape, Vaduz are rock bottom of the ten team Swiss super league, however Lausanne are just two points better off and this is the sort of game that Vaduz simply must win if they are to have a chance of avoiding relegation.

Vaduz did lose their last game, an away match against third placed Luzerrn, but in their last home game they won 5-0 against Lugano, who are incidentally on the same points as Laussane.

Laussane have lost their last three away games on the bounce, including against Thun who are second bottom, they have lost their last seven games in the league overall, this is not a team in any sort of form whatsoever.

As stated above, neither team is doing great, but even though they are rock bottom, Vaduz have the better recent form, better home record compared to Laussane away record and of course, home advantage.

Vaduz for me.

I am going with a draw in this one.

Sunderland have clearly improved in recent weeks, David Moyes has finally got some organisation into the team, especially the defence and they are no longer cannon fodder.

Swansea were humiliated last week, they were thrashed by Tottenham and did not manage one single shot on goal, it was one of the most one sided defeats in the history of the Premier League, that is not hyperbole, that is a fact backed by the statistics.

If this game was played anywhere else I would go for a Sunderland win, but the Swans are back at home and that makes a difference, there will be a positive reaction to their historic loss to Spurs and I am very confident we will see a better performance from the Welsh side.

I do not see Swansea winning the game though, they would have to improve significantly for that and I just do not see it, for me they will be happy to just get a point and get back on track, the same applies to Sunderland, they will be happy with a point and a draw looks the most likely outcome.

I fancy Hull City to get a much needed win in front of their home fans against a stuttering Palace side.

A case can be made for both sides to be honest, but at the same time it is easy to see either losing as well, even the draw has some attraction, but the value is to go with the home side in this game.

Palace have lost their last three Premier League road games, they let in five goals against bottom side Swansea, they have also lost away to Burnley and Middlesbrough, teams that are in the same bracket as Hull, point being is that Palace do not have a good away record, especially against teams in the lower echelons of the league.

Hull have been poor at home this season, but they have finally started to get their act together on their home ground, their last two home games have seen them beat Southampton and draw with West Brom, an improvement on their previous home Premier League results for sure.

This is the sort of game that Hull must win, a home game against a fellow struggler and that is what I expect today.

Take Hull to win a tight game.

I fancy Burnley to emerge the victors in this one and am surprised that they are not the favourites.

Burnley are quite decent at home, they did lose to Man City last week but it was a tight game and they were not embarrassed, they have lost just three times at home this season and two of those games were against Man City and Arsenal, as well as Swansea in their first home game of the season, they have beaten the likes of Everton and Liverpool at home as well, point is this, Burnley are a solid home side and only the very best beat them, Swansea apart.

Bournemouth are a poor away side, they have won just the once all season on the road (against Stoke) they have lost to the likes of Middlesbrough away and while they do put in some decent performances, they generally struggle when on the road.

I can understand why Bournemouth are considered favourites by some, they did a miraculous comeback against Liverpool last week and Burnley have lost three on the bounce, but you cannot ignore how these two perform when at home and away respectively.

I see this being a close game, but for me, it is Burnley that will collect all three points.

I can see this one ending up a draw.

There is very little to separate these two in the league and Hearts did beat Rangers 2-0 just a couple of weeks back.

Rangers do have home advantage of course and it would be impressive if Hearts did a quickfire double over them, but I watched that game between these two and Hearts deserved the win.

Rangers are unbeaten at home, but they have drawn three of the five home games and that cannot be ignored.

Hearts have only lost twice on the road this season, but they have won only twice, however, they have drawn four times away from home, that is a huge 50% of all their road games.

Taking into consideration the most recent result between these two, Rangers having home advantage and the high draw ratios for both sides, then a draw looks the value pick for me.

I am taking Lyngby to get back to winning ways at home after losing their last three home games.

Lyngby have really struggled recently but some perspective is required, their last three home losses have been against teams that are currently first, fourth and seventh in the league, we are not talking against teams near the relegation zone.

Silkeborg have won just one single game on the road this season, they are seven points below Lyngby and close to the relegation zone, they are not top class opposition.

Lyngby have a great opportunity to get back to winning ways, if they cannot beat Silkeborg today then they do have big problems, this is a must win game for sure.

Silkeborg will fancy their chances of improving on their away record against a team in a mini slump and they do have a good recent record home and away, losing just once in their last seven league games, but that masks how poor they truly are and if Lyngby do get back to form today, which I expect them to do, then they will win.

I am going with Watford and Everton to play out a draw in this one.

Everton are woeful on the road, just two wins all season and four losses from seven away games, hardly a stellar record.

Watford are not world beaters at home, I admit that, but they are still a hard team to beat at Vicarage road, wins over Man Utd and Leicester City show that.

Only recently Everton lost to Burnley away, now, they did dominate that game and were unlucky and at any other time they would have won, so some perspective is required..

Everton were both lucky and unlucky in their recent draw with Man Utd, they were lucky they were not losing by at least a couple of goals early on and unlucky that they did not get the win when they dominated United for the last 30 minutes.

All things considered it is very hard to make a case for either team to win and therefore the draw looks value.

Take the draw.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fully expect Southampton to win this one in front of their home fans and to win it by more than the one goal.

The Saints have to win to qualify it is as simple as that, a draw will see Hapoel qualify, only a win will do for Southampton.

On paper Southampton are the better side and I expect that to show this evening.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Standard Liege need to win this one, they could still qualify if they lose if other results go their way, but if they draw or lose they could easily be dumped out of the competition.

Ajax are the runaway winners of the group and are unlikely to field their best side, but whatever team they do field will still be competitive,

I expect Standard to win and for Ajax to score, therefore over 2.5 goals looks the logical pick.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Lyon have to beat Seville to qualify simple as that, Seville just need a draw and chances are will play for a draw, the maths on this one are fairly straight forward.

I expect Lyon to emerge the winners here, they have home advantage and know that qualification is in their hands, they are no worse than Seville and are more than capable of winning this one.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Porto need to win this one to be sure of qualification, they could still progress if Copenhagen fail to win their game against Bruge, but they will progress for certain if they win this game and will not have to rely on other results going their way.

A draw is no good if Copenhagen win, so I expect that Porto will go all out for a convincing win, but Leicester City will not be walkovers.

I do expect Porto to win, but I can see the Foxes scoring and so logically that means there must be more than 2.6 goals.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Copenhagen must win this and hope that Porto fail to beat Leicester City, so you can be certain that the Danish side will go all out to win this one.

Bruge may be cannon fodder but they are at home and will not want to go out with a whimper in front of their home fans, they will put up a fight.

I expect Copenhagen to win this one but I also expect Bruge to put up a good show and to at least score in front of their home fans, therefore logic tells me this must be over 2.5 goals.

I am taking Besiktas to win this game and qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

It is never easy to play in the Ukraine and Dynamo will not be a walkover, but they have absolutely nothing to play for, nothing at all, not even Europa League qualification, no matter the result today they will finish rock bottom.

Besiktas on the other hand know that if they win they are guaranteed to make progress to the next round, a draw is no good because at best that would put them even with either Napoli or Benfica and they have a worse head to head record with both sides, simply put, Besiktas must win and if they do, they qualify.

Besiktas have the motivation, they will be focused, they will be playing a team with nothing to play for, a team that is unlikely to be the first team as well and therefore I am going for an away win here and for Besiktas to win.

Neither of these sides can progress in the Champions League, but one of them can qualify for the next stage of the Europa League and so it would be wrong to dismiss this game as a dead rubber, especially for Rostov.

If Rostov draw or win they qualify, if PSV win they qualify, that is the bottom line here.

Now, It will take a leap of faith to predict either of these sides winning this, there is a ton of reasons and statistics to show why either side cannot win, it is a lot harder to make a case for either side to win.

I was tempted to back Rostov on the spreads, but they are the away side and PSV are the favourites to win this one, in better words I simply lacked the confidence to back Rostov, even on the spreads.

But, I can see a case for there being a few goals in this game, when you have a midweek evening kick off in Europe there tends to be an electric atmosphere and that will apply in Holland, this game has classic end to end soccer written all over it, PSV have to win, so they will go for it, if Rostov fall behind they have to go for it and so on, all the ingredients are there for goals, counter attacking soccer and the and back and fro of European Champions League soccer.

Therefore I am confident that we will see goals and I am going for over 2.5 goals in this game.

Either of these teams could be eliminated if they lose  and yet, both could still go through no matter the result, that is the tricky situation both these sides find themselves in.

Napoli are in the driving seat, they will qualify for the next round with a draw thanks to a better head to head record with Benfica, so the Portuguse side must win to be sure to qualify, they would still progress if Besiktas fail to beat Dynamo Kiev, but they will hardly think about that in this game.

A lot depends on the result between Besiktas and Dynamo Kiev, but a win will make it 100% guaranteed that Benfica qualify.

A little confusing I admit and so many scenarios can come into play, if Besiktas are losing 3-0 at half time in their game then it would not surprise me one little bit if these two played out a draw, but if Besiktas are winning 3-0 at half time then Napoli would shut up shop and Benfica would go all out attack, yes, if this, if that.

What we must do is take this game on its merits and for me that means that Benfica must go on the attack, they must go for the win, regardless of what is happening anywhere else, if Benfica score first then Napoli must go all out for the equaliser and so on.

Point being is this, that this game has all the ingredients for a goal feast due to circumstances and the flow of the game will depend on who scores first, either here or in Ukraine.

Back over 2.5 goals.

This game is to see which team plays in the top Norwegian division, it is played over two legs and this is the second leg.

Jerv won the first leg 1-0 and therefore all they need to do in this game is draw and they will be playing at the top level next season.

Jerv finished third in Division one, that is why they are in the play offs, Stabaek finished third bottom in the top league and that is why they are condemned to the play offs, they only avoided automatic relegation by a single point.

Jerv may have played at a lower level but the truth is that there is very little between these two, Stabaek were woeful and truth be told they are more like a lower division team than what Jerv are.

I simply cannot see Stabaek winning this one, they are not a good team, they have no momentum at all, whereas all the momentum is with Jerv and while I cannot say hand on heart that Jerv will win this one, I simply cannot see them losing, therefore the draw is the logical pick

I am going with Charleroi to get all three points from this game.

I am not sure why Standard are favourites here, they are the away team, they are five points behind Charleroi, they have lost their last three away games on the bounce and are dropping down the table like a stone in water.

Charleroi have won their last four home games on the bounce, they are unbeaten at home this season winning six and drawing two and are one of the top three best teams on form over the last six games.

Standard are regarded as one of the best teams in Belgium, but their form simply does not compare with Charleroi and the only reason they are favourites is because of reputation, which is no way to back any team to win any game in any sport.

All things considered I am going with a home win.

I am going with Everton to get all three points today.

The only reason Man Utd are such clear favourites in this game is because they are called Man Utd, there is no justification based on season performance that they should be favourites in this game, none at all.

Only one point separates these two in the Premier League after 13 games, that is after 33% of league games, at some point you have to accept the level that a team is at and after 33% of games seems a good point to me.

Secondly, Man Utd away record as opposed to Everton home record is unbalanced to say the least, Everton have not lost at home, they have won three and drawn three, while Man Utd have lost twice away from home from their six away games, that is a 33% loss record, they have won three times but those wins were against the bottom two and Bournemouth.

With regard to current form, over the last six games, neither team can boast a great record, both have won just the once, albeit United have drawn four of their last six compared to Everton twice.

Bottom line is this, Everton are at home, they are strong at home, they are in no worse form than United, who can only beat teams on the road that are relegation material, it is Everton that should be favourites and not Man Utd.

Everton for me

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Leeds are in decent form at home and even though they lost last time at home to Newcastle I still fancy them to not to lose today.

Villa are in a good run of form overall in the championship and have not lost in their last six games, including drawing their last two away games.

This game has draw written all over it and the chances are both teams would accept that result as a positive.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I take West Brom to win this one, they have home advantage and that is important with regards to these two, if this game was at Watford then I would have had a different pick, alas it is not and it is West Brom that I see winning.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I know that Palace are having a rough time of it and are in a mini crisis, but they have played some good football and Southampton are too negative away from home, all the ingredients for the home side to take advantage of and win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Sunderland are resurgent and Leicester going backwards, add home advantage for Sunderland and this game has draw written all over it.

I know that Sunderland got beaten least time out at Liverpool but that happens to most teams when visiting Anfield, but prior to that they had won two on the bounce and if they get back to that form they will do well today.

Leicester have been very hit and miss recently and will more than likely be happy with a draw considering their slump in form, 

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going for Burnley to spring a surprise here and win at huge odds, the value just cannot be avoided.

Stoke are strong at home but they are not an elite side and can be beaten by the likes of Burnley, this pick is all about the value in odds, Stoke are favourites, but not by this sort of margin and it is not out of the question that Burnely win this.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I take Man City to win this one, Chelsea were lucky against Spurs and well outplayed in the first half, that game should have been done and dusted by that stage, but Spurs let the Blues off the hook, I do not expect Man City to make that mistake today.

City to win

I am taking a draw in this one.

Lyngby are doing slightly better than Aarhus in the league, but not enough to have them win this game, they have won two and drawn one of their last three away games, but overall they have won only 50% of their away games this season.

Aarhus are seven points behind Lyngby in the league, but have only lost two of their eight home matches this season, however, they have won just three from those eight games and drawn three.

Point is this, Aarhus are not easy to beat at home, they may not win often, but they rarely lose and Lyngby are just not consistent enough on the road to see them as clear winners.

Bottom line is this, neither team has done enough to be confident that they can win this game and therefore the draw is the value selection.

I am confident that Sonderjyske will be able to win this one on their home ground.

Sonderjyske have won their last four home games on the bounce, overall they have lost just twice at home and their current home form has them at four wins and two draws from their last six home games, it should also be noted that they have not conceded a goal in their last four home games.

Aalborg on the other hand are having a rough time on the road, they have lost their last five away games and in four of those losses have failed to score.

On current form, home and away, Sonderjyske have the better record claiming ten points from a possible 18, whereas Aalborg have managed just four points in that period.

All things considered I am going with Sonderjyske to win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I take Southapton to collect all three points with a home win today.

The Saints are generally strong at home, they have dropped points recently but that was against Liverpool and Chelsea and while Everton are  decent side, they are not the best travellers.

The game will be tight but I do expect Southampton to win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with the draw in this one, Esbjerg are the worst team in the league and sit rock bottom, however, Norssjland are not much better and this game looks like it will be very close.

I have zero confidence in either team emerging the winners and therefore the draw looks the most likely outcome.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Two of the best teams in Switzerland face off in what is set to be a very close game.

Basel are top and the best side in Switzerland, they are 15 points clear at the top and it is hard to see anyone catching them, they are very strong away from home and have won seven of their last eight away games drawing the other, a fantastic record.

But Sion are also very strong at home, they have lost just once all season at home from 13 games and they will feel confident that they will get something from this game.

All things considered a draw looks the best bet.

I am going with a draw in this London derby.

A lot will be made of Tottenham getting knocked out of the Champions League but I see that defeat boosting them, they will be desperate to make amends.

Tottenham drew against Arsenal, a game they were expected to lose after their previous loss in the Champions League, this game against Chelsea is almost an exact repeat scenario, playing a top side in a local derby away from home after a demoralising Champions League defeat.

Chelsea are in hot form no doubt, but Tottenham are a very good team and they will be matching Chelsea in every single department, this will be a tough game for both sides.

There is also the memory of their last meeting, a game that turned into a street brawl, Tottenham will not have forgotten what Chelsea did that day, that you can be certain of.

All things considered I see this game being hard fought and passionate and the spoils splt evenly come 90 minutes.

A Yorkshire derby that I see ending in a draw.

Leeds are the better side, but Rotherham have home advantage and while that would not generally help them because of how poor they are, it is a local derby and the crowd will play an important role in this game.

Rotherham are rock bottom of the Championship, they have won just once all season and are in wretched form, but there is a case to be made for their home record, they have lost 50% of their home games, which means that 50% of the time they have not lost, there is some encouragement there.

Leeds have a similar record away from home, won 4 lost 4, a 50% record,  better win record against Rotherham home record, but exactly the same loss record.

Considering this is a local derby and that Rotherham do have a semblance of home form then I am going for a draw.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I like the look of the draw in this one, both sides are fairly evenly matched given the circumstances this evening and I simply do not have the confidence in either side to win this game and a draw looks the most likely outcome for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with Genk to win this one, they have won six in row at home in all competitions while Rapid are struggling away from home, especially in their last seven games in all competitions, which has seen just two wins.

Home win for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I know that Dundalk have surprised many with their European exploits so far this season, but they cannot continue to defy reality, the fact is that AZ are a far better team and if they can play to form, not be complacent and give Dundalk their due respect, then they really should win.

AZ for me

I feel that Copenhagen are being seriously underestimated here.

They held Leicester City to a draw in a game that they were by far the better team, they have a tremendous home record and in the Champions League have lost just twice at home since 2012 over 14 games.

Porto are not the best travellers, they lost at Leicester City and while they do win the odd game on the road, they just as often lose, if this game was in Portugal then obviously Porto would be favourites as they were in September, but even then they could only draw against Copenhagen.

All things considered I am going with Copenhagen to win this, I would have preferred to have done it via the spread and got a goal start, but that option is not available on here, but I am happy to take the bigger odds on an outright win as I do think they will scrape the win over the Portuguese outfit.

I am going with Tottenham to get their Champions League campaign back on track and to claim all three points in Monaco today.

Do not be mislead by Tottenham home results against Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen, those results are in no way a true reflection of the quality of this Sours side, they are a top team, better than either of the sides that beat them and it is no coincidence that all their points have been amassed away from Wembley stadium, a place that is not their home ground.

Monaco are a good side, there is no doubting that, but if they played to their best form and Tottenham did as well, then there would only be one winner, no matter where the game is played.

If Tottenham play to their best tonight then they will win this game, I am positive they will as they know a loss is basically the end of their Champions League ambitions this season.

Take Tottenham to win.

The Russians look tremendous value to me and I am going for them to grab the win today.

A lot has been made of the Germans win over Tottenham in London, but that game was an aberration for Tottenham, if that game had been played at White Hart Lane and not Wembley I am almost certain that Spurs would have won, it would be a mistake to consider Bayer a top team based on that result, they are not, they are a good German side, but certainly not an elite one like Dortmund or Bayern Munich.

Of course CSKA are not an elite team either, but they are at home and while they lose to the best teams at home in the Champions League, they do get wins over teams below the elite level.

The value really is with the Russians in this one, it would have been an even better pick if I was able to do it on the spreads, they would easily have been given a goal start, but unfortunately that option is not available to me on here, but even so, the odds are so good they are well worth backing to win outright.

This is a game that involves one team that has nothing to play for against a team that definitely has something to play.

Santa Cruz have already been relegated, even if they will their remaining three games they are going down, simply put, they have nothing left to play for other than pride.

Atletico Mineiro still have something to play for, they have an outside chance of qualifying for the Copa Libertadores (South American equivalent of the Champions League).

There is 34 points difference between these sides and even though and even though Atletico have not been in the best form of late, they are still a much better side than what Santa Cruz are.

If Atletico put in a decent performance they will win, they are motivated and despite their drop in form they did draw with the league leaders and almost certainly the champions Palmeiras, last time out, so the signs are good.

All things considered I am going for Atletico to win this one.

Santos must win this game, if they lose and Palmeiras win then the latter are champions, a draw is no use really, they really have to win this game if they want to retain any chance of winning the title, even though their chances are rather slim.

Cruzeiro still have an outside chance of making the Copa Libertadores qualifiers, but in all honesty, it is unlikely, they are five points behind with just three games to go, but it does mean that they also have something to play for.

This game will take on a cup tie atmosphere, both teams have to go for the win, I believe this will negate any home advantage, it generally does in cup tie environment, but even if it did not, I am still of the opinion that Santos have the edge.

Santos are a clear 20 points above Cruzeiro and that is telling, it certainly shows which is the better team, both are in good form, Santos have won their last three away games, while Cruzeiro have won three of their last four home games, this game will come down to who wants it more and for me that is Santos.

All things considered I am going with Santos to win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Liverpool are in brilliant form, they are scoring for fun and even with home advantage I cannot see Southampton stopping them today.

It will not be an easy game, but the way the Reds are playing at the moment I cannot see anything other than a Liverpool win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Sunderland have finally won and they can make it two wins on a trot against opposition that is just as weak as them, home advantage and momentum are enough for me to go with the Black Cats to claim all three points today.

Hull also won last time out so it will not be easy for Sunderland, but I expect them to be too strong for the Tigers.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Not much separates these two in the league, but Birmingham are very strong at home while Bristol City are poor on the road and that will be the difference today.

Birmingham have won four and drawn two in their last six home games, while City have won just once, lost three times and drawn twice away from home.

Home win for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Bournemouth have a very poor away record, they have not won once this season on the road and they lost at home to Sunderland last week.

Stoke love playing at home, they are strong there, they have won their last two home games and their only home losses have been against top teams Man City and Tottenham.

Home win for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Leicester have yet to win away this season, they have four losses and one draw on the road from their five away games and they were lucky to get that draw against Tottenham, they may be playing brilliantly at home and in the champions league, but when it comes to travelling in the premier league they have been found wanting.

Watford have lost twice at home this season, but that was against top teams Chelsea and Arsenal, they did however beat Man Utd and are unbeaten in their last three home games.

Home win for me. 

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Massive game between two of the biggest sides in English football.

This game has draw written all over it, United have home advantage while Arsenal are in better form, United can turn it on and beat any team, they have the players, but have failed to do that this season, whereas Arsenal do seem to stumble against the bigger teams.

Draw for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Last season champions Adelaide have had an awful start to the season picking up just two points from their opening six games and it is easy to see why they are outsiders for this game, but they are not playing one of the best sides in Australia and it is just a matter of time before Adelaide get back to winning ways and this is the exact sort of game when they start winning again.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Top game this between last seasons beaten grand finalists Western Sydney and last seasons semi finalists Melbourne City.

Melbourne have had the better start, however, Western Sydney are far better than their recent results have suggested and I fully expect them to bounce back from their poor performance against Melbourne Victory last week.

I take Western Sydney to win a tight game.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with a draw between two of the best sides in Brazil, Atletico have home advantage but they are playing the league leaders who have a tremendous away record.

Palmeiras have the slightly better form at the moment and considering the quality and advantages both bring to this game, a draw looks the most likely outcome.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am taking Cambridge to beat non league Dover in this FA Cup match.

There is probably not that much between these two sides, but I believe that Cambridge have the slight edge, they are in a higher league, have put together three wins from four in their last four away games and should have too much for Dover to overcome, despite their good home record.

I am taking the draw in this Brazil Serie A match up.

Corinthians are 11 places and 17 points ahead of Figueirense and on paper should be clear favourites, but their away form is woeful as just one win in their last nine Serie A games shows.

If they were playing a team higher in the table and in better form then I would have had the Corinthians to definitely lose, but considering their opposition they stand a good chance of scraping a draw.

Figueirense are deep in trouble, they are facing relegation, however, they have lost at home on just three occasions this season from 17 games, with the draw being the most common result.

So we have a far better team with an awful away record up against inferior opposition who are quite solid at home, to me that screams draw.

Two very evenly matched teams with just one point separating them in Serie A this season after 34 games, however, it is the respective home and away records, as well as current form, that has me backing the home side to win.

Recife have only lost three times at home this season, not bad for a team in 14th spot, they have had nine home wins, a very respectable win record.

Cruzeiro are poor away, they have just six road wins from 17 away games, they have lost on nine occasions, proof that they are not the hottest team when travelling.

Recife have lost just once at home in their last 12 games played in Recife and have won three of their last four home games, their form stands scrutiny.

Cruzeiro have just one win in their last five away games, a period that has seen three losses, they are starting to struggle on the road at this moment in time.

All things considered I am taking Recife to take full advantage of playing at home and take all three points this evening.

I am taking Costa Rica to extend their winning run with a victory over the USA.

I saw USA play Mexico and was not impressed, yes they had a dominant period in the second half, but for far too long they were very negative in a home game, they looked stale and were lacking in ideas, the loss may have been cruel, but it was no more than they deserved to be honest.

Costa Rica on the other hand have won their last five games and are looking for their sixth win in a row, they did lose 4-0 to the US in the Copa America back in June, but that was on US home soil at Chicago and the scoreline was somewhat flattering, it is different circumstances now.

For me Costa Rica have momentum, they have the form and they are at home, the US do not fill me with any sort of confidence, they are their for the taking and that is what I expect to happen this evening.

All things considered I am going for a home win.

I am going with Chile to register their fifth home win on a trot this evening.

Uruguay are unbeaten in their last four matches, but their away form does leave a little to be desired, they have not win a single game in their last five away games and have managed just two wins in their last ten road matches.

It must be said that Uruguay have played some very tough away games recently, but even so, failing to win can easily become a habit just as winning does and it seems to me that Uruguay have made it a habit now of not winning away from home.

Chile cannot really afford to drop points at home, they are currently in the play off spot in fifth position and have Argentina breathing down their neck, dropping points at this stage could be critical come the end of the qualification campaign, whereas a win puts the Chileans right back in the hunt.

Uruguay sit second, they are obviously a good side, but I expect home advantage to play a very significant role in this critical world cup qualifier, the respective home and away stats vindicate that assessment and I have seen no reason why that should change this evening.

All things considered I am going for a home win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am of the opinion that this game will end in a draw, Greece are not playing brilliantly these days, they are struggling in fact, but they do have home advantage and that may be enough for them to contain the Bosnians today.

I do not think Bosnia will will win, but I also do not see them losing and therefore the draw is the best value pick.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Bulgaria are not in good form I accept that but I do feel they will have enough at home this evening to take care of Belarus.

Belarus are in better form but they are limited and with home advantage I am taking the Bulgarians to get all three precious points today.

I am taking the Czechs to get the better of Norway in this world cup qualifier.

Neither team is in the best of form and both have had fairly poor starts to their world cup campaigns, in fact, it is hard to see either of them qualifying, however, a win would certainly help and give them an outside chance, so you can be assured both sides will be going for all three points.

Norway have not won away from home in any type of game for six games running now and an analysis of their away form shows they have only beaten very poor teams on the road in years, you would have to go back to 2012 when they beat Hungary to say that they beat a team on the same level as the Czechs are now.

That said, the Czechs are poor at home, but they do have the potential to be better than what they have shown recently, they did make the Euro finals earlier this year and in front of their home fans I am more inclined to believe that there is far more chance of them winning this game than there is of a draw or loss.

All things considered backing the Czechs today is the best bet.

I really fancy Montenegro to get the win today and continue their great start to this world cup qualification campaign.

Let us not kid ourselves, Montenegro are not world beaters, they are a below average team, but they sit at the top of their group with seven points from a possible nine, they beat Denmark away and drew away with Romania, they won at home against minnows Kazakhstan 5-0, but it is their away games against the Danes and Romanians that are eye openers.

Compare that start to Armenia, who sit at the bottom of the six team group with no points, they lost their only home game in this campaign 5-0 to Romania and of course lost their opening away games to Denmark and Poland.

It is clear to see the gap between the respective teams, Montenegro have momentum, whereas Armenia are in a slump and even with home advantage, I cannot see Armenia halting their losing streak in this competition.

All things considered I am going with Montenegro to win

This is a massive game for the two South American giants and I am going with Argentina to win in Brazil this evening.

A draw is not a disaster for Argentina but they really do need a win, half way through the qualification and they sit in fifth position, that is not a position they want to be in come the end of the qualifications, they simply must be higher.

Brazil sit top but they are in no way the same team they were a few decades before, they are better than the team that lost so badly against Germany in the last world cup, but not much better and the only advantage they have over Argentina is home advantage, in every other area Argentina is the better side.

I do not feel that home advantage will be enough for Brazil, I fully expect Argentina to be at their very best this evening, the crowd will not bother them and as long as they play to their best form they will win, they are the better side with better players.

All things considered I am going with Argentina in this one.

I am travelling this weekend and therefore am publishing both Saturday and Sunday picks early, due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Aalesund are in great form at the moment, they have won 6 of their last 7 league games and will feel confident that they can get the win against a team that has won just twice in their last nine league games.

Take Aalesund to grab an away win at great odds

I am travelling this weekend and therefore am publishing both Saturday and Sunday picks early, due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

United are not in great form, their most recent results prove that, drawing at home against Burnley, losing in Turkey and being thrashed by Chelsea show how vulnerable they are right now.

Swansea may well be in 19th at the moment, but they are not playing that badly and they a draw is certainly not beyond them.

I am travelling this weekend and therefore am publishing both Saturday and Sunday picks early, due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I like the look of the draw on this one, West Ham are not solid at home and Stoke are in relatively good form, this has all the hallmarks of a draw.

I am travelling this weekend and therefore am publishing both Saturday and Sunday picks early, due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Not sure why Palace are favourites, they are not great travellers and Burnley beat Everton last time they played at home, Palace are not a top side and I am confident that a home win is the best pick.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fully expect Tottenham to win this one, they may well need more time to get used to playing at Wembley but they have more experience of playing at Wembley than Bayer Leverkusen and as long as they play to form they will win this one.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Leicester beat Copenhagen two weeks ago but it was a close fought match and now that the Danes are back at home they have the advantage and I expect them to win.

I am taking Manchester City to earn a point against visitors Barcelona today.

The Spanish giants gave City a thrashing two weeks ago and it is difficult for me to see City turning it around to such a degree that they would win this game.

That said, they are at home and that makes them a different proposition to the team that travelled to Spain and lost so heavily.

Barcelona are probably the best club side on the planet, but like all clubs they do struggle against the best teams away from home and despite the one sided affair in Barcelona, they will not get it so easy in Manchester.

I cannot see City winning, but neither can I see them losing and a draw is the best option.

Napoli have disappointed me on numerous occasions this season, I have expected so much more from them and I cannot back them to get anything from this game with any sort of confidence.

Besiktas are a strong home side, they have already held Dynamo Kyiv to a draw and teams including Arsenal, Feyenoord, Liverpool and Marseille have all failed to win in Turkey, however, they do tend to lose to the better teams.

Problem for Napoli is that they are not playing like a better team, last season I would have backed them to get something from this game, but three away wins from their nine Champions League games does not bode well.

But there is more to it than that, they have won just two from six away's in Serie A this season and lost four of their last six games in all competitions, they are not in sparkling form.

Besiktas have not lost in all competitions in their last 15 home games, though they did lose on penalties to Galatasaray in a cup competition, point is this, at home they are rather formidable at this moment in time.

All things considered I am going for Besiktas to spring a surprise and get the win at good odds.

I am taking Stoke City to get the better of Swansea City today.

Both teams are not in the best of form, they have both got off to poor starts, but the signs are that Stoke are ready to turn things round, not sure that can be said of Swansea just yet.

Stoke may well have lost two of their home games this season but they were against Man City and Tottenham, but since those losses they have drawn and won at home.

Swansea have lost their last three away games, albeit against Southampton Leicester and Arsenal, but their overall form has been poor anyway, they drew their last match but lost four on the trot before that.

Stoke on the other hand are finally getting things right, they are now unbeaten in their last four games in the Premier League and will be looking to grab their third win on the bounce today.

All things considered I am going for a Stoke win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Aalesunds are flying at the moment, they have won their last six games on the bounce, whereas Haugesund have won just once in their last six, it is asking a lot for them to go to a team that is winning every game they are playing and win.

Haugesund have won just once in their last eight aways while Aslesunds have won their last three home games.

Home win for me in this one and at great odds as well.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Match up between third placed Midjylland and top of the table Copenhagen and I am going for the third placed side to win.

Midjylland are strong at home, they have won their last three home games and have not lost at home this season, winning four drawing three.

Copenhagen are unbeaten on the road in the seven games they have played, however, they have won just three times, drawing the other four.

I feel that Midjylland will use their home advantage to inflict a defeat on a  close title rival, Copenhagen are not prolific away even though they are unbeaten.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am surprised at the odds on Malmo, they are far superior to Gefle, they have won four of their last six away games compared to Gefle being winless at home in the league in their last six games.

Also, Malmo sit top while Gefle are second bottom with a huge 42 points between them.

Away win all day long. 

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fancy Southampton to beat Chelsea today.

The Saints are very strong at home, they are unbeaten at St Mary's this season and have won both their two recent Premier League games on their home patch.

Chelsea are very inconsistent away from home, they may well be clicking under Conte now, but they lost away to West Ham in the league cup and have just two wins from five away games this season in the league, both against very mediocre opposition.

Will be tough for Southampton, but I believe that Chelsea are their for the taking.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I was caught between an away win and a draw, however after some further analysis I am going with the draw, AZ are the better team but can be inconsistent and this is the sort of game where they can let themselves down.

Draw for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fancy Thun to grab an away win at woeful St Gallen.

St Gallen are rock bottom of the Swiss league and have lost their last three home games on the bounce, whereas Thun have are unbeaten in their last four league games and are on a two game winning run.

Thun to win

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I like the look of the draw in this one, West Ham are improving, they will have been lifted significantly after beating Chelsea in the league cup mid week and they are no longer the walkovers they were early season.

Everton are deserved favourites, but they showed their vulnerabilities losing at Burnley last week and I can see them struggling to beat a resurgent West Ham.

West Ham finally won away at Palace two Premier League games ago and are unbeaten in their last three league games, whereas Everton are winless in four.

Not saying that Everton will lose, but struggle to see them winning, a draw looks the value here.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going for Lausanne to win this one at some great odds.

After 12 games this season just one point separates these two in the league, Luzern cannot buy an away win at the moment, they have lost their last four road games and while Lausanne are not world beaters at home, they are still fairly strong, losing two, winning three and drawing once.

It should also be noted that Lausanne beat Luzern in Luzern last month 3-1.

Home win for me.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am going with Birmingham to inflict a defeat on bitter local rivals Aston Villa today.

Birmingham are very strong at home in the championship and Villa are still struggling, derbies can be notorious affairs to predict, but home advantage and Villa inconsistency gives the edge to Birmingham.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Santos are very strong at home, however they are playing the league leaders who themselves are strong on the road.

Santos have won five of their last seven home games while Palmeiras have won six of their last seven away games, drawing the other game.

Palmeiras are certainly the better team and more than capable of beating Santos on their own ground.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Third placed Atletico host second place Flamengo and I am going for a home win.

Atletico have won their last 12 home games on the bounce, a fantastic run of form, while Flemengo have won just three of their last seven away games and five of their last 12.

I take Atletico to make it 13 wins on the bounce.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Atletico PR have won their last six home games on the bounce and are above Cruzeiro in the table by seven points.

Cruzeiro have won once in their last four away games and while they are in decent overall form would still have to play out of their skins to grab a win here this evening, something I do not see them doing.

Home win

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Two poor teams that would probably be grateful for a point apiece and that is how I see this game going, a draw.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Not sure why the sportsbooks keep on under estimating Lyngby, their home record is very good and they are up against a team below them in the table, albeit by a single point.

Lyngby for the home win

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I like the look of Leeds in this one, Burton have not one away from home this season while Leeds have won three of their last four at home.

Leeds to beat the promoted side.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fancy Bournemouth to grab an away win in this one, both sides did very well last week against two of the Premier Leagues sides, however, Bournemouth could have beaten Tottenham while Middlesbrough were lucky to scrape a draw against a below par Arsenal.

Bournemouth for me

I am taking QPR to get the win today in this English Championship match.

Brentford employ the moneyball method and for a while it worked, but they seem to have lost their way recently and this is shown in their away form and most recent form.

Brentford have managed just the one win from their seven away games this season, losing four and drawing two, hardly brilliant road form, they are also winless in their last four championship fixtures, which hardly bodes well for this game.

QPR are not too potent at home themselves, they have won twice, drawn three and lost two in their seven home games, however, they have lost just the once in their last six championship games and that was their most recent match last weekend at Sheff Weds, better current form than Brentford for sure.

This game will be passionate, this is a West London derby and the main factor in this game will be which team keeps their heads the better and for me that will be QPR, they have home advantage, better form and as long as they do not allow Brentford to wind them up, they will win.

Nordsjlland should emerge the winners in this Danish Super League fixture.

The home side are in good recent form, they are unbeaten in their last five domestic games and while four of those games have been drawn, they have still put together this unbeaten run and that builds both confidence and morale.

Viborg on the other hand have lost four of their last five domestic games, the other match being a draw, so they are winless in five, totally opposite to the recent form of the home side and in the same way that an unbeaten run builds confidence and morale, a winless run damages confidence and morale.

This is quite simple for me, Nordsjlland have home advantage and have the far better form, a home win all day long for me. 

I am taking Silkeborg to emerge the winners in this game.

Silkeborg have lost just once in their last seven league games and they have bounced back from an appalling start to the season at home when they lost their first three home games, since then they have won twice and drawn once at their own stadium.

OB have lost eight of their last nine league games, a terrible run of results and have lost their last five away games in the league, whatever way you look at it they are not in any sort of decent form.

When you look at the current form of the respective teams as well as their home and away records then the conclusion has to be that this game is there for the taking for the Silkeborg.

All things considered I am going for Silkeborg to win this one. 

I am of the opinion that Sundsvall are over priced in this game, they are being under estimated and they have a solid chance of winning this game.

Goteburg are doing far better in the league, but their away form is not exactly the best, they have not won a single game in their last seven road trips, they have lost four and drawn three, they are not world beaters when travelling that is for sure. They win at home regular, but on the road they cannot be trusted.

Sundsvall are not brilliant at home either, but they did win their last home game and they are on a four game unbeaten run home and away, so their form is a little encouraging.

A draw is a possibility and if I was able to go with Sundsvall on the handicap then I probably would have done, but that option is not open to me on here at this time and I am more inclined to go for a home win than a draw.

What I would not do is back an away win, just makes no sense, not when the away side have not won in their last seven away games.

Considering the circumstances then it is a home win for me.

The draw looks the best value here and that is what I will be backing.

Jonkopings are very mixed at home, they can beat some of the better teams and then lose to some of the weaker teams and they do like a draw, they have drawn six of their 13 home games, winning four and losing three, so they may not win a lot, but they certainly do not lose a lot at home either.

Orebro have won just five times from 13 away league games, they lose quite often and if they were playing any other team that had lost just three times at home in the league then I would have opposed Orebro all day long, but fortunately for them they are playing a team that struggles to win at home.

Another factor is that in both their last two games they have each won once and drawn once, so both are in relatively ok form in the league.

So, both are in ok form, the home team loves a draw and the away team loses more than it wins on the road, this game has draw written all over it.

I am expecting a reaction from Manchester United today and see them emerging the winners in this Manchester derby.

United were humiliated 4-0 against Chelsea, it did not help allowing a goal after just 31 seconds, from that point onwards United strategy was different and they failed to adapt to the change in circumstances, I do not expect to see a repeat against City.

City have not won in five games and are not in the best of form either, it is not as if they are facing United in awesome form, they are basically in the same boat as their neighbours.

A lot will depend on team selection for this game, it is not a Champions League or Premier League game, but I do expect both managers to put out fairly strong teams.

That said, Pep Guardiola has already said he will rotate the City side and for me that is a crucial difference, I expect Mourinho to pick a very strong United side and while I do expect Guardiola to pick a fairly strong side, he has to, I do not see him putting out all his best players.

I see United fielding a stronger side and with home advantage I do see them winning.

I am taking West Ham to spring a surprise in this one.

The West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has already stated he will pick his first team and the chances are that Chelsea will go with a side that is not their strongest.

West Ham have also had an extra days rest, they have started winning and they are at home and they love nothing more than getting one over their hated London rivals.

If Chelsea were putting out their strongest possible team and had not played such a high emotional game on Sunday then I would have been tempted to back them instead, but all the circumstances are in West Ham's favour for this one.

Chelsea are clearly the better side, but derbies are notorious for their surprise results and this game has all the signs of a surprise.

All things considered I am going for a home win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I take New England to win this one, they have won their last three home games on the bounce, While Montreal have won just twice in their last 12 away games, though there have been seven draws in that sequence, but even so, they do not win away that often whereas New England are on a winning run at home in the MLS.