Tony Kelshaw 
Pakistan head into the ICC Cricket World Cup on a woeful run of form, but we’re backing them to come good when it matters against the West Indies. As befitting their Cornered Tigers nickname, Micky Arthur’s side tend to come out fighting on the big stage, lifting the Champions Trophy two years ago.
Anthony Joshua will be looking to make a big impression on his US debut when facing Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Londoner will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles against Mexican-American Ruiz, a late stand-in after Jarrell Miller’s failed drugs test.
Derby upset the odds by knocking Leeds out of the Championship play-offs but Aston Villa still have to be rated a form pick for the final at Wembley. Dean Smith’s side only just shaded West Brom on penalties to get this far, but thrashed the Rams 3-0 away and then 4-0 at home during the regular season.
Sunderland had a shaky end to the League One season but now look well prepared to face Charlton in the play-off final after edging out Portsmouth. The Black Cats showed they can hold firm under intense pressure during two hard-fought battles with Pompey and that should stand them in good stead.
Barcelona will be seeking a fifth straight Copa del Rey triumph when taking on Valencia and they tend to turn on the style in the Spanish cup final. The Blaugrana thumped Sevilla 5-0 last season to make it 13 goals netted in the previous four deciders, so we’re expecting to be entertained again this weekend.
Sporting and Porto have each claimed 16 cup triumphs in Portugal but we’re siding with the Lisbon-based outfit to shade this season’s decider. Marcel Keizer’s men were unlucky to lose out in last weekend’s league clash between these teams and are rated a value bet to gain ample compensation.
Newport have shown they can cope with the pressure of big matches this season and are fancied to see of Tranmere in Saturday’s League Two play-off final. County managed to beat Premier League outfit Leicester and Championship side Middlesbrough in the FA Cup and that experience can stand them in good stead.
We’ve picked out our Premiership Rugby predictions ahead of Saturday’s play-off semi-finals and are looking at the handicap markets for a bit of value. Last season’s two finalists are red-hot favourite to reach the decider again, but will they be able to cover double-digit starts this term?
More than 40,000 fans are expected at Celtic Park on Saturday for the Pro 14 final between Glasgow and Leinster, so home advantage could play a big part. The Warriors will be roared on by a strong support, as they seek to lift this trophy for the second time, having previously prevailed in 2015.
We’ve got Super League predictions for all six matches at this year’s Magic Weekend and are hoping to land an 11/1-plus pay-out if they all prevail. Anfield will stage the latest renewal of British rugby league’s mid-season spectacular and every team will be keen to impress in Liverpool.
We’ve got Ligue 1 predictions from Friday night’s final round of fixtures and are hoping to land a 9/1 accumulator with these selections. PSG again powered to title glory in France’s top flight this term, but there is still plenty left to play for elsewhere in this exciting division.
Fiorentina just need a point against Genoa to be sure of avoiding relegation and that makes a draw worth support when they meet at Artemio Franchi. Stalemates are a common occurrence when these teams get together in Serie A, with seven of their last 10 encounters ending up all square.
Napoli have secured six straight head-to-head wins over Bologna and are fancied to make it a magnificent seven in the final round of this season’s Serie A fixtures. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were outstanding when crushing Inter 4-1 last Sunday and look keen to end another strong campaign on a high note.
Sampdoria secured a famous 3-2 success over Juventus at Luigi Ferraris last season and are rated a value bet to repeat the trick. The visitors have gone off the boil since wrapping up an eighth straight Serie A title and have little reason to impress outgoing boss Massimiliano Allegri.