Friday foursomes (2pts):

Henrik Stenson & Paul Casey to beat Justin Leonard & Hunter Mahan -111 @ Paddy Power  LOST 3&2
If this is, as Azinger called it, a "bomber's course" then why would he put two players of such similar small stature together ... he even remarked upon it in the opening ceremony. Mahan ranks 83rd in driving distance on the PGA Tour this year and Leonard 165th, whereas Stenson and Casey are the European Team's "bombers". These two have shown that they have far more to their game than just length off the tee and this is the perfect matchup for them. The American pairing may be good friends, but Mahan is a Ryder Cup rookie and Leonard has yet to win one of his eight Ryder Cup matches to date

Lee Westwood & Sergio Garcia to beat Kenny Perry & Jim Furyk -149 @ Pinnacle  TIED
Westwood is undefeated in his last 10 Ryder Cup matches and Garcia is a perfect 8-for-8 in foursomes; this is European 'dream pairing', which normally means they'll lose with such high expectations! However, there is a world of difference between the form that Garcia has shown since the PGA Championship (2nd/2nd/5th/20th) and Perry (wd/48th/66th/mc) and Perry has surely put too much pressure on himeself by saying that this competition would define his career. In terms of Furyk, he has had the distraction of leaving the team to be with his wife in hospital yesterday and he simply does not have a good record playing against either of these players: Westwood is 4-0 and Garcia 5-1 against him ... and he doesn't have Tiger as a partner this week

No play on the other two matches. Mickelson/Kim look a perfect pairing for fourballs not foursomes, so this is a gamble by 'Zinger that they will play entertaining, aggressive golf and get the crowd involved in this event early on. It could easily backfire, though Harrington has a losing record in this format and Karlsson was omitted from this format on his debut in 2006. In the other match, Campbell looks the weakest link, but like Mickelson/Kim, I see the Rose/Poulter pairing as better fourball partners.

Friday fourballs (2pts):

Steve Stricker & Ben Curtis to beat Ian Poulter & Justin Rose +110 @ WSEX  LOST 4&2
Two fresh players against two who will have just finished by the time that they are due to start the afternoon match and were disappointing in both their play and their inability to hold onto a 3-hole lead

Lee Westwood & Soren Hansen to beat J.B. Holmes & Boo Weekley +100 @ Pinnacle  TIED
Unburdened by Sergio, Westwood should be a different player this afternoon and while a lot will be made of the power-hitting of the Holmes/Weekley combination, the Europeans, particularly Westwood, are the better players

Saturday foursomes (2pts):

Justin Rose & Ian Poulter to beat Stewart Cink & Chad Campbell -120 @ Carib  WON 4&3
A revenge match for Rose & Poulter after they had lost a three-hole lead to those opponents yesterday. Cink/Campbell didn't look a great pairing yesterday, so it is surprising to see them together again and particularly in the first match. If Europe are to close the gap on the Americans, they must win this match and with the omission of Westwood and Garcia this English pairing are natural 'leaders from the front'

Phil Mickelson & Anthony Kim to beat Henrik Stenson & Oliver Wilson -138 available generally  LOST 2&1
Stenson was the better player in the Casey/Stenson pairing yesterday, but was still a long way from the required level and Wilson will have all the nerves of a Ryder CUp debut, but only playing every second shot and against two intimidating players. I really can't see this being close

Saturday fourballs (2pts):

Lee Westwood & Soren Hansen to beat J.B. Holmes & Boo Weekley +110 @ BetFred  LOST 2&1
Very surprised to see the Holmes/Weekley combination again, particularly after the way in which they lost the last hole. Am expecting Westwood to play really well after being left out of the foursomes, so it should only need Hansen to contribute to the team for a victory in this match

Sergio Garcia & Paul Casey to beat Steve Stricker & Ben Curtis -110 @ Stan James  TIED
Also very suprised to see the Stricker/Curtis partnership again, they really were very poor yesterday and as much as Garcia and Casey were also below par, they are players who will ride the momentum that Europe has built up today, particularly if Garcia's health is improved

Ian Poulter & Graeme McDowell to beat Kenny Perry & Jim Furyk +105 @ WSEX  WON 1 Hole
Pinnacle opened this matchup with Poulter/McDowell at -130 so not only was there a large arb, but there is clearly a difference of opinion on this match. Poulter and McDowell have been very impressive, whereas Perry and Furyk have been inconsistent, so clearly the value is with the Europeans

Adding:

Phil Mickelson & Hunter Mahan to beat Henrik Stenson & Robert Karlsson +120 @ Sportingbet  TIED
Was going to leave this match alone as so many of these players have been erratic, but not Mahan. Yet, despite Stenson partnering Oliver Wilson to a dramatic victory against Mickelson this morning, this should be a different matter. Lefty will be able to concentrate on his game this afternoon rather than 'fathering' Kim around the course and unless Stenson and Karlsson show a dramatic return to form, they should lose ... and set the match at 8-8 with the singles to play tomorrow

Sunday singles (6pts):

Jim Furyk to beat Miguel Angel Jimenez -120 @ Pinnacle  WON 2&1
Will post the rest of the plays tomorrow, but this has to be a banker play. MAJ has been far from impressive, whereas Furyk has been increasingly the opposite in this event. Add in their respective singles records - MAJ two matches, two losses; Furyk 5 matches, three wins, one tie, one loss - and I can't see this line remaining anywhere near -120

Adding (2pts):

Robert Karlsson to beat Justin Leonard -109 @ Centrebet  WON 5&3
Karlsson's play has been patchy this week, but for the last nine holes last night he looked back to his best. With Leonard being the lesser partner of the Leonard/Mahan pairing and has previously having never won a game, I'd make Karlsson a stronger favourite in this match

Kenny Perry to beat Henrik Stenson +138 @ Boyle Sports  WON 3&2
Like Karlsson, Stenson's form has been patchy, even if improving a little over the week, but against the home State player, he may find it difficult to beat Perry and the crowd. At this price, the tie looks a good proposition to take on

Boo Weekley to beat Oliver Wilson +110 @ Boyle Sports  WON 4&2
Another match in which the European will have to beat the player and a very vocal crowd. Wilson make an impressive debut in the foursomes, but a large part of that victory was the collapse and decision-making of the Mickelson/Kim pairing than the play by the Europeans. A tough match for a rookie

Graeme McDowell to beat Stewart Cink -105 @ Unibet  and Carib  WON 2&1
McDowell played some of the best Ryder Cup he had ever seen, according to Furyk and it was not just in that match, he has been Europe's player of the team alongside Poulter this week. So with Cink struggling, particularly with the putter, I can't see why Carib have priced Cink as a strong favourite in this match

Ian Poulter to beat Steve Stricker -111 @ ToteSport  WON 3&2
Europe's other MVP against another player who has been below par. Even if the early matches do not go Europe's way and this has the possibility of becoming a dead match, I can't see Poulter's intensity dropping

Lee Westwood to beat Ben Curtis -154 @ Unibet  LOST 2&1
Short odds, particularly on the penultimate game, so maybe it is better to take the tie void option just in case this match becomes academic. However, no-one has played worse than Curtis this week and with Westwood without a win all week, there must surely remain motivation throughout to have at least one win on his record in 2008