Tony Kelshaw 
Watford sprang a huge surprise when hammering Liverpool last weekend but we fear they will be quickly brought back down to earth at Crystal Palace. The Hornets have yet to win away against any team outside of the relegation zone, picking up only four points and scoring just five goals in 11 other road trips.
NBA regular-season games don’t get much better than when Western Conference leaders LA Lakers entertain Milwaukee, top dogs in the East. LeBron James coming up against Giannis Antetokounmpo is just one of the sub-plots at Staples Center, in what could prove a preview of this year’s finals.
A huge clash in the Western Conference sees two high-flyers face off as the Houston Rockets host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Toyota Center. The Clippers sit in second, behind arch-rivals the Lakers, while Houston are just three games behind their visitors in fourth in a congested table.
All eyes will be on Wayne Rooney when Derby take on his former club Manchester United in an intriguing FA Cup fifth-round tie at Pride Park. The Red Devils’ record goalscorer has done well for the Rams since joining from DC United in January and is sure to be fired up for this contest.
Having completed a hat-trick of EFL Cup triumphs, Manchester City should move closer towards back-to-back FA Cup victories when visiting Sheffield Wednesday. Garry Monk’s Owls are a mid-table Championship outfit who have lost five of their last seven fixtures at Hillsborough in that division.
Arsenal’s surprise Europa League exit may prove unfortunate for Monday night’s FA Cup fifth-round opponents Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The Gunners should now be able to prioritise this competition more and are expected to prove too strong for the League One outfit in this televised tie.
Manchester City are red-hot favourites to complete a hat-trick of EFL Cup Final triumphs but we feel Aston Villa will not go down without a fight. Villa have fond memories of playing at Wembley themselves, having prevailed in last season’s Championship play-offs decider at the national stadium.
The Warriors and the Lakers are at opposite ends of the NBA’s Western Conference, with Golden State rock bottom and 32 wins behind the table toppers. Los Angeles have prevailed in both previous meetings this term and there is little evidence to suggest they won’t come out on top again at Chase Center.
Manchester United survived a tricky Europa League test when visiting Club Brugge and are fancied to finish the job off at Old Trafford. The Red Devils started shakily in Belgium after making six changes, but looked the better team in the second half of that contest and have more scope for improvement.
Wolves look assured of a place in the last 16 of the Europa League after crushing Espanyol 4-0 at Molineux and may be content to cruise through the second leg. Their opponents are far more focused on a La Liga relegation battle than battling back in this tie, so this has the makings of a low-key contest.
Celtic left Denmark with mixed feelings following last week’s 1-1 Europa League draw with FC Copenhagen but are fancied to ease through in Glasgow. The Hoops had chances to establish a strong first-leg lead at Parken Stadion, but ended up needing a superb penalty save to return home on level terms.
Ajax have a mountain to climb in their Europa League last-32 tie after putting in a lacklustre effort when beaten 2-0 by Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez. The Spanish outfit enjoyed a bit of good fortune with a deflected second goal on the stroke of full-time, but were good value for their victory overall.
LASK Linz look worthy favourites to reach the last 16 of the Europa League after returning from the Netherlands on level terms against AZ Alkmaar. The Austrian outfit impressed at Linzer Stadion during the group stage, beating Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Rosenborg by an aggregate score of 8-1.
Utah will aim to end a recent barren run in front of their own fans when they host Boston at Vivint Smart Home Arena, but the Celtics may scupper those hopes. The Jazz had a superb record at this venue, but they have slipped from second to fifth in the Western Conference after falling to 20-8 in Salt Lake City.