Tony Kelshaw 
Rangers staged a fantastic fightback when beating Braga 3-2 in the first leg of their Europa League tie but we fear it may ultimately prove in vain. Their opponents have been in outstanding form in Portugal and looked an excellent team at times at Ibrox, despite being hampered by a poor playing surface.
Australian sides have dominated rugby league’s World Club Challenge of late and St Helens face a tough test when taking on the Sydney Roosters. However, while the odds are stacked against Saints becoming only the second British winner in eight years, we feel they can be competitive on home turf.
The NBA season gets back under way after an emotional and entertaining All-Star Weekend in Chicago, as Philadelphia 76ers host Brooklyn Nets. Team LeBron edged out Team Giannis 157-155 in the revamped All-Star Game, which included Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The jury is still out on England after two inconclusive Six Nations performances and we’re reluctant to trust them against a rock-solid side like Ireland. Andy Farrell’s men stuttered to an opening victory over Scotland but were much more convincing when seeing off defending champions Wales in Dublin.
Wales have won eight of their last nine encounters with France, but only one of those contests was settled by more than 10 points. The four most recent meetings have been incredibly close, with the aggregate score 76-71 in favour of the Dragons, following October’s 20-19 World Cup triumph.
Scotland are expected to inflict a 25th straight Six Nations defeat on Italy in Rome but the feeling is that this will at least be a competitive contest. The Azzurri only went down by a couple of points when these teams met here a couple of years ago and are coming off a spirited effort in France.
Swansea’s hopes of securing a place in the Championship play-offs have slipped of late but they have a good chance to get back on track when visiting Hull. The Tigers look badly out of sorts after picking up just one point in six games and invariably struggle to break down teams from the top half of the table.
Lazio and Inter are both battling it out for the Serie A title with Juventus this season and everything points towards a close encounter at Olimpico. The hosts are unbeaten in 18 games in Italy’s top flight, with their last defeat in this competition being a 1-0 loss to the Nerazzurri at San Siro in September.
West Brom fans will be dreaming of a return to the Premier League after three straight wins helped them move six points clear at the top of the table. Forest are also still in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot, though, even if Tuesday’s home loss to Charlton was a hammer blow to their hopes.
The final match before the beginning of the NBA All-Star Weekend sees Boston Celtics host Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden, with each team placed third in their respective conferences. The visitors’ away form has been shaky of late, while Boston are seeking a seventh straight home victory.
The top two teams in the Western Conference go head to head at the Pepsi Center, as second-placed Denver Nuggets host leaders Los Angeles Lakers. Denver have a superb home record of 21-6, while the Lakers have the second best away record in the NBA, with 22 wins from their 27 road trips.
Sheffield United can climb as high as fifth in the Premier League table if getting the better of Bournemouth at Bramall Lane, as expected. The Blades have built their success on the back of a rock-solid rearguard, with only runaway leaders Liverpool conceding fewer goals than them this season.
Millwall have done well against West Brom in recent encounters and Sunday’s Championship clash is expected to be another decent contest. The Lions won at The Hawthorns in the EFL Cup in August, having drawn 1-1 in the league there three days earlier, plus they beat the Baggies here late on last season.
Wigan upset the odds when helping to knock Leeds off top spot in the Championship last weekend, but we’re still willing to oppose them with Preston at DW Stadium. Promotion hopefuls North End have a 100 per cent record against the current bottom six this season, winning all eight of those fixtures.