Best Of Bets

Author: Best Of Bets

  • TOKYO 2020 ATHLETICS BETTING

    TOKYO 2020 ATHLETICS BETTING

    As Tokyo 2020 enters its second week, the action switches to the Olympic Stadium with the Athletics program having got under way on Friday.

    Even without fan attendance, the Blue riband races of the 100m will shape the first weekend of competition, and if anything, the women’s sprint race could draw greater interest than the men’s, the final taking place as it does on the second day of the schedule, for the first time.

    Dina Asher-Smith remains Team GB’s biggest hope of Olympic gold on the track, and on paper, there is little to separate the Bromley Harrier and her perennial rival, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

    With the Jamaican currently evens to win her first Olympic 100m crown, her compatriot and defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah however, has grown throughout the season. The two are evens and 5/2 for gold respectively, both with Betway.

    But could Tokyo 2020 yet be Asher-Smith’s moment? A price of 11/2 with UniBet still looks very interesting.  Her best chance however, could be in the 200m as defending world champion from Doha two years ago. Alas, Shaunae Miller-Uibo will be hard to beat having switched from the 400m, whilst American Gabby Thomas is making a late move for glory also.  Nevertheless, the Briton is 9/2 – again with UniBet – to win 200m gold.

    In the men’s 100m meanwhile, Team USA look well placed to regain The Fastest Man in the World crown, with Trayvon Bromell – like Fraser-Pryce – evens with SkyBet, MansionBet and Betfair. Moreover, If you fancy doubling up over both the men’s and women’s finals, a Fraser-Pryce-Bromell double with Bet365 will treble your money at 2/1.

    Two of the other bigger duels on the track in Tokyo take place over 400m hurdles, for both the men and women.  Having finally broken the world record in his own back yard in Oslo earlier this season, Norway’s Karsten Warholm is the strong favourite in his first Olympics at 4/9 Willian Hill or 2/5 with MansionBet.
    World champ since 2017, Warholm however, will be pushed by American Rai Benjamin who has slowly hit form since the US trials. Odds of 5/2 accordingly are worth a look, in what will likely be sweltering conditions come race night.

    In the women’s race, Sydney McClaughlin has become one of the stars of US track and field and will go head-to-head with compatriot and rival Dalilah Muhammad. The two have pushed each other over the past seasons, but as defending champion from Rio, the latter will not be giving her crown away lightly.
    Whilst McClaughlin is 1/2 favourite with BetVictor, Muhammad is 3/1 with UniBet and the final could be one of Tokyo’s best races.

    Finally, the US team’s other star attraction, Noah Lyles, is expected to romp home in the 200m despite a year of disruption due to Covid, and in his first Games, is 8/11 with SkyBet for victory.

  • HUNGARIAN FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX BETTING

    Formula 1 swings back into gear this weekend and as tensions continue to boil under between Mercedes and Red Bull, the Hungarian Grand Prix could turn the temperature up further in the paddock.

    Despite having seen his World Drivers’ Championship advantage diminish to just seven points after his controversial crash with Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone, Max Verstappen remains race favourite in Hungary.

    Though the Dutchman is yet to win at the Hungaroring in five attempts during his career, both MansionBet and Betway are offering a price of 10/11 for Verstappen to return to the winner’s enclosure.

    But how could one count out Lewis Hamilton?

    Reinvigorated after his win a fortnight ago in front of home support, the Briton has won in Hungary for the last three years and has a phenomenal seven wins at the Hungaroring in total. Hamilton remains a real lurker at 11/8 this weekend, again with Betway.

    Ferrari are slowly coming up on the rails this term for race pace meanwhile, and after Charles Leclerc saw a British GP win snatched from him, many fancy Scuderia to do very well.  Team boss Mattia Binotto is bullish of their chances also, and for either Leclerc or Carlos Sainz Jr. to win on Sunday as a team, you will find a sizeable 12/1 price with PaddyPower and Betfair to take the chequered flag. For a podium finish alone and to back up his P2 in Britain, Leclerc is 2/1 with VBet.

    A little further down the field, Fernando Alonso has enjoyed his return to F1 with Alpine and has finished in the points for the last five races on the spin.  As winner in Hungary during 2003, the Spaniard’s chances of a second victory 19 years on look a nigh-on impossibility, however, a second P6 of the season looks eminently more feasible and at 7/2 value with William Hill, Alonso might see some movement before race day.

    If a points finish is more your style however, fans of George Russell will again pin their mast to the King’s Lynn driver, and to finally end his points drought for Williams, all major bookies hold 6/4 odds on the Mercedes-elect driver in Hungary.

  • NEW PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON – PLAYER AND MANAGER BETTING

    As another Premier League season looms, the appetite for the English top flight’s return is set to be bigger than ever this term, as the fans return to stadiums.

    So, with just over a fortnight to go until kick off, what markets should we be keeping an eager eye on?

    Thus far, the summer transfer window has yet to kick into top gear in the wake of the Euros, but expect that to change in the coming days.

    Speculation over Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland continues to fill many a column page, as the Norwegian’s future hang in the balance in Germany. Chelsea’s odds of securing a major coup before the window slams shut are shortening all the time, but at 2/1 still with UniBet, the Blues hold decent value to secure Haaland’s services for this season.

    Across SkyBet, a number of intriguing odds are emerging also, with the stipulated date of September 3rd – the date the transfer window closes – as the timeframe for markets.  As the next Paul Pogba saga rolls on, the Frenchman is 7/4 to make the switch from Manchester United to PSG, whilst former Liverpool man Philippe Coutinho looks likely to make a return to English shores, with Wolves now firm favourites for the Brazilian, at 7/4.

    Leaving Molineux however, Ruben Neves looks destined for life elsewhere, but the battle for his signature has swung in recent days, and Man United are now fancied at 2/1, after Arsenal’s interested fading to 5s. The other transfer to watch is perhaps the destination of Tammy Abraham, with Arsenal this time 10/11 favourites for the Blues’ striker to make the switch across London. Aston Villa, however, cannot yet be ruled out after his loan spell there a few seasons back, at 5/2.

    In the managerial department meanwhile, the season has not even started, but the sack race is already heating up for the first Premier League manager to get the chop.  If we take a look at SkyBet’s managerial specials similarly, Xisco Munoz remains the shortest to get the boot, and given Watford’s penchant for personnel change on such a regular basis at the top, 6/1 looks a very tempting price.

    Whilst new Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira and Steve Bruce come next in the odds, Mikel Arteta however, is already drawing further critique from the Arsenal fan base.  With a tough opening fixture list, the Gunners boss could come under pressure early doors. At 10/1, the Spaniard is fourth favourite to be shown the Premier League boardroom door first, but those odds could significantly short should Brentford inflict defeat on opening day, a fortnight on Friday.

  • TEAM GB GOLD SPECIALS

    As the XXXII Summer Olympiad finally gets under way on Friday, Tokyo 2020 is set to be a vastly different Olympic Games.Team GB’s hopes of another Gold rush in Japan remain strong however, but which bookmaker do we turn to for Olympic bets?

    The choice is not overwhelming, but SkyBet, PaddyPower and Bet365 look by far the best choice for punters.  In the pool, Adam Peaty has ruled the waves in men’s breaststroke for some six years now and as defending Olympic champion over 100m, is the outstanding favourite to hold on to his title.

    Jade Jones is a similarly red-hot favourite in taekwondo as current world champion, having also won the 57kg division gold for the last two Games on the bounce. Like the 28-year-old from Wales, Sunderland boxer Pat McCormack comes into the games as amateur world champ and is odds-on for welterweight gold – what would be GB’s sixth in the ring during the last three Games.

    Whilst all three are strong favourites and surely too short to back alone, for all three to claim gold however, SkyBet are carrying a boosted offer of 4/1 for a unique triple.

    In the Olympic Stadium meanwhile, British hopes rest with Dina Asher-Smith.  World champion over 200m currently, the Orpington sprinter has her work cut out against Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Tokyo though, and 100m glory may yet be her best shot.

    Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will again be her main rival for the top step of the podium, but for Dina to seize a moment in history, Bet365 will give you 5/1 odds for a sensational GB gold, or if you want to hedge, PaddyPower are offering 3/1 for Asher-Smith to win either event.

    Tokyo 2020 could again be a female-inspired Games for British athletes, and all three of Helen Glover, Charlotte Dujardin and Laura Kenny – like Jade Jones – can win gold in the same event for the third Olympics running. Whilst the trio of women are perhaps not at the top of their game, their odds nevertheless are enticing.

    Whilst Dujardin is 13/2 to win the Individual dressage title and Kenny is 6/4 to win the team pursuit crown, Glover is perhaps the longest shot at another gold in the women’s coxless pair. Having only recently made a winning comeback from retirement, the Cornish rower has also not been defeated at the Olympics over nine years, and with a boosted 6/1 price to win with new partner Polly Swann, Glover could again return to the top in Tokyo.

    If it’s an alternative bet you want, PaddyPower have some intriguing medal bets to ponder. Team GB have been set an unofficial target of between 45-70 medals in Tokyo, picking up 29 golds in London and 27 in Rio last time out.  For GB to reach just 16 in Tokyo, PaddyPower are offering evens, but to win 21 or more, you will get a potentially profitable 6/1 price.

  • JAKE AND LIBERTY SET TO BE CROWNED LOVE ISLAND KING AND QUEEN

    As UK’s most popular reality TV series, Love Island, is back for its seventh season, it’s safe to say that the opening few weeks haven’t disappointed as it’s created a number of new couples for its fans to size up.

    This week, Jake and Liberty became the first couple on this year’s show to go odds-on to be the winning couple.  The pair have been together since day one, and as of today, bookmakers have cut their odds to as short as 10/11 to be crowned the year’s king and queen, despite a preview showing Jake kissing Kaz at the end of Sunday night’s show. Elsewhere, Liam and Millie have recently seen their odds of winning slashed to just 3/1, with all couples being 8/1 or bigger at this point in the series.

    Meanwhile, the odds are out on who will be the next contestant to leave the villa, with the ‘next islander to leave’ market proving very popular in Love Island betting – actually the most popular of all markets. Danny’s toxic treatment of Lucinda has left him vulnerable and the bookies make him clear favourite for the axe at 1/3 to be the next one to leave. However, new girl AJ is also short-priced for the chop at 4/6 having ruffled a few feathers since entering the villa, but to little avail.  Teddy (2/1) and Lucinda (3/1) follow next in the betting, with Toby (5/1) and Chloe (6/1) deemed the islanders least likely to leave.

    In other TV Special betting, former Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood has said that she’s ready for a new reality TV challenge and wouldn’t mind heading to the jungle next for a stint on I’m a Celebrity and bookies have given her an early price of 2/1 to appear on the 2021 version of the hit ITV show.

    Love Island outright winner:

    • Jake and Liberty 10/11
    • Liam and Millie 3/1
    • Teddy and Faye 8/1
    • Toby and Chloe 12/1
    • Aaron and Kaz 25/1

  • THE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING

    After a 24-month wait, the cream of golf return to home shores this week for the 149 th Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Kent.

    As Shane Lowry defends the Claret Jug he won at Royal Portrush in 2019, this will be the first time since 2011 the Open has taken place in the south of England.

    So, who do the bookies fancy this weekend?

    Smart money on Rahm

    The undoubted favourite is World number one and US Open champion, Jon Rahm.
    Bringing his wait for a major to an end last month at Torrey Pines, the Spaniard’s game is perfectly
    suited to the Links of Royal St. Georges and with soft conditions and good weather expected, Rahm
    is 17/2 with SportNation, but currently drifting.

    Brooks Koepka meanwhile, looks in strong shape again, to win his fifth major. Having featured in both the PGA and US Open prominently this year, Koepka came home T4 in the Open two years back.
    Still fetching 18/1 odds with MansionBet, William Hill and Bet365 though, the Floridian is approaching his best again and is worth a look.

    As is Louis Oosthuizen, after finishing runner-up to Rahm at Torrey Pines. Returning to The Open as a previous winner – albeit over a decade ago – the South African has been one of the most consistent players around this season and with Bet365 offering a top-five at 13/2, some may also fancy his still encouraging price of 35/1 outright, with BetVictor.

    Brit picks

    For British fans and punters alike, the return of The Open needs a home horse to back so to speak,
    and the best two nominees currently look like Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick – the latter of
    whom lost in a playoff at the Aberdeen Scottish Open last weekend.  Westwood in the same competition meanwhile, rather faded, but will have huge home support from  the galleries in Kent.

    If you’re keen to back either Englishman on home soil, MansionBet will give you 45/1 and 40/1 odds
    respectively.

  • ITALY VS ENGLAND BETS – PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

    ITALY VS ENGLAND BETS – PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

    As both the Three Lions and the Azzurri are too hard to separate in the betting, there is little value in placing either side to win the final, so instead, the individual markets could make for more fruitful gains.

    Not least the battle for Player of the Tournament, with both England and Italy with prime contenders in the running.

    For England, a ‘Summer of Sterling’ has been the catalyst for the hosts’ reaching their first major tournament final in 55 years, and Raheem Sterling remains the bookies’ choice to win the prize. With three goals and two assists to this point, Sterling is 2/1 currently with SBK, whilst Betfair, PaddyPower and William Hill are also offering 7/4 on the Manchester City star.

    Harry Kane however, cannot yet be overlooked after a strong end to the competition. Having scored in every game during the knockout stages, the Three Lions’ skipper needs just one goal to tie Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick for the Golden Boot, whilst a brace against the Italians will surely see him taking the award outright.

    Should that occur, Kane will be close to nailed-on for the Euro’s star. Holding a value of 5/1 with SBK and 15/4 with MansionBet, Kane may be delivering double joy for his backers.

    Euro 2020 has arguably been the tournament of the full-back.  But., with perhaps two of the summer’s star turns in Denmark’s Joakim Maehle now eliminated, and Leonardo Spinazzola also injured for Italy, could Luke Shaw yet steal in?  The highest-scoring defender in UEFA’s official Fantasy game, Shaw’s four clean sheets and three assists leave only Sterling with more points, at 37, to his 35.

    If we consider Shaw’s contribution statistically alone, and in what may be a tight contest versus Italy, an England win with a goal provided by the Manchester United man might yet leave Shaw in the box seat.
    In truth then, a small punt at 25/1 with BetVictor, or 20/1 with MansionBet, is quite appealing.

    If we turn to the men in blue, Federico Chiesa has added to his many admirers during the tournament and having scored twice in Italy’s two outings at Wembley, Chiesa is a man England will need to watch like a hawk.

    So too should punters this weekend.

    If a price of 10/1 with SkyBet and Bet365 may seem a little too much a stretch for him to seal the competition’s best player though, perhaps banking on the Juventus forward to make it three in three in north London, is a more likely scenario. With that in mind, SkyBet’s 5/1 anytime value on Chiesa to net, might cushion the blow should football not come home this Sunday evening.

    If Italy do beat England this weekend under the Wembley arch, the other man that could grab the prize is Jorginho. Having been Roberto Mancini’s lynchpin in midfield, the Chelsea midfielder has been involved for his adopted nation this tournament, for all but 15 minutes.

    If N’Golo Kante is the French dynamo, Jorginho is the cog that makes Italy tick, and is the player the bookies feel is currently Italy’s best shot at scooping the Euro’s best player.  At an eyebrow-raising 9/1 with SkyBet, PaddyPower and Betfred, Jorginho might yet be a surprise winner.

  • ENGLAND vs DENMARK: BETTORS PREDICTING DENMARK TO CAUSE UPSET

    Following a dominant 4-0 win over Ukraine in the EURO 2020 quarter final, it’s no surprise to see England strong favourites to not only beat Denmark in the semi-final, but also win the tournament outright.

    A spokesperson from BestofBets.com said: “The build up to tonight’s game has been incredible and never, during this tournament, has more bets been place…everyone is getting involved.”

    “But it’s safe to say that although England is the favourite, they face no easy task as the Danish team has shown an incredible team spirit with a strong team ethic. They also boast a win over England when the two teams met in October 2020. A 1-0 win at Wembley will be in the memories of the Danes and they’ll be confident despite their underdog status. This past encounter may be the reason why Denmark have been well backed to defeat England. In fact, in the last 24 hours, Denmark has attracted an impressive 46% of total bets compared to England’s 43%.

    “Moreover, punters have parter with more than £27m in bets ahead of tonight’s clash, which makes the biggest betting bonanza during this tournament.”

    So far in the EURO 2020 tournament, wagering on prop bets has been the way to go. We’ve seen plenty of games make it to extra-time and have plenty of goals. There are so many prop bets available to wager on in the England vs Denmark odds markets. Here’s a few that could be popular with bettors in the build up to the semi-final.

    • Harry Kane is the favourite to score the first goal at 4/1
    • For Denmark, Kasper Dolberg has the shortest odds to score first at 10/1
    • Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen to score anytime in the game at 14/1
    • Jannik Vestergaard, Christensen’s centre-back partner, is also tempting in this market at 22/1

    England vs Denmark odds:

    • England: 7/10
    • Denmark: 9/2
    • Draw: 13/5

    Odds via: BestofBets.com

    So far in the EURO 2020 tournament, wagering on prop bets has been the way to go. We’ve seen plenty of games make it to extra-time and have plenty of goals. There are so many prop bets available to wager on in the England vs Denmark odds markets. Here’s a few that could be popular with bettors in the build up to the semi-final.

    Who will be man of the match for England vs Denmark?

    The man of the match market is always a popular betting option in the major games and it’s no different for the England vs Denmark odds. Our friends at BetVictor have priced up this market. Currently, Harry Kane is the favourite at 5/1 with Raheem Sterling not far behind at 8/1. Of the rest of England’s team, Mason Mount at 10/1 could be worth a wager, he’s likely to strip fitter than he did against Ukraine after his isolation and will ‘pull the strings’ in the England midfield.

    Denmark’s Pierre Emile Hojbjerg plays for Tottenham in the EPL and will know a lot of his opposition, for Denmark to win they’ll need their central midfielder to play well – his odds of 20/1 are definitely appealing.

  • EURO 2020 – SEMI FINALS BETTING

    EURO 2020 – SEMI FINALS BETTING

    And then there were four.

    Having seen 20 teams fall, Euro 2020 reaches the semi-final stage beginning on Tuesday, as Wembley now becomes the focus for the final five days of the tournament.

    Much like it did in 2018, football fever has again gripped the nation, with England in their second successive major tournament semi-final on the bounce.

    But this time, England are on home turf under the Wembley Arch.

    For football to indeed come home, the Three Lions face a rather sterner test than the limp Ukrainians they took apart in Rome on Saturday night.  The hosts however, are still regarded as strong favourites to reach their first final in 55 years, at 3/4 with SBK and 20/27 with MansionBet.

    But Denmark cannot be sold short at their chances of reaching the final.

    Alongside England, the Danes are the team who perhaps hold the biggest momentum going into the last four, also riding a wave of emotion. Their 9/2 price with Betfair, Betfred, PaddyPower and UniBet, looks surprisingly long, but therefore appealing.

    Extra time on Wednesday night is a more than likely scenario also, leaving the draw after 90 mins at 11/4 with SpreadEx, a more than accommodating punt.

    England are also yet to concede a goal at the tournament in five games, but for Denmark to finally break through are 8/11, or to notch twice at 4/1, both with SkyBet.

    In Tuesday’s first semi-final, the ever-impressive Italy are the bookies’ favourites to make Sunday’s final, but still at a very decent 6/4 with Bet365, Betfair and MansionBet.

    Could however, Leonardo Spinazzola’s absence greatly dent the Azzurri’s chances?

    Their opponents Spain have rediscovered their goalscoring touch as the Euros have rolled on, but La Roja still lack a clinical frontman.  That factor is greatly influencing Spain’s chances in the markets, but Luis Enrique’s men can still be had to win at 21/10 with 888sport and BetVictor, amongst others.

    For those of you with a keen eye on the race for the Golden Boot meanwhile, five goals is the current magic total, but it is dually held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick, both of whose teams have been eliminated.

    Having now scored in back-to-back games, Harry Kane looks to have got his mojo back, and is just two off that total, with three goals thus far.  For the England skipper to not only close the gap but to take the prize, SkyBet still have Kane at an enticing 8/1.

  • WIMBLEDON WEEK TWO BETTING

    WIMBLEDON WEEK TWO BETTING

    Wimbledon, oh how we’ve missed you.

    After an absence of 24 months, the return of the All-England Championships has again provided thrills, upsets and of course, the sight of many an umbrella.  But the excitement has not been doused despite the weather, as we now look to the business end of  the tournament, Magic Monday signals the beginning of the last 16.

    In the Men’s draw, the early shock exit of Stefanos Tsitsipas caught many off guard, and Novak Djokovic now remains the clear favourite to win his third Wimbledon title on the bounce.  Daniil Medvedev is perhaps the Serb’s biggest remaining threat, but Roger Federer has shown glimpses of his best on his beloved Centre Court and is still available at 10/3 with both Bet365 and MansionBet to reach Sunday’s final.  Outright, the Swiss is 11/1 with SBK to win a ninth crown, whilst Matteo Berrettini has taken like a duck to water on grass. The Italian is 12/1 to go all the way, also with SBK.

    Sebastian Korda meanwhile, was one of the names to make an impact during the opening week. Son of former Australian Open winner Petr and brother to US golfing duo Nelly and Jessica, the 20-year-old American is currently 3/1 to make the last four, but will have to beat Denis Shapovalov to get there, himself priced at 15/8 with BoyleSport.

    If you want to hedge your bets meanwhile, 6/4 was the price for any player other than Djokovic to win before the tournament, and Betfair and PaddyPower are still offering the same odds. In the Ladies’ draw, Serena Williams’ withdrawal due to injury has left the draw wide open, but it is still Ash Barty as odds-on favourite to win her second slam, holding 7/2 value with all the major bookies.

    From a British point of view, Andy Murray, Dan Evans and Cam Norrie may have fallen, but in Emma Raducana, the Union Jack remains buoyantly fluttering in the breeze. Coming from near anonymity as a wildcard ranked outside the top 300 in the world, the 18-year-old has electrified Wimbledon 2021 to reach the last 16.

    So how long will ‘Emmania’ last?

    Having seen her odds sliced since beating Sorana Cirstea, Raducanu is remarkably now just 20/1 to win the Venus Rosewater Dish. That for this year at least is surely too tall a task, but to reach the semi-finals, SkyBet are offering a boosted 5/1 for Raducana to continue her sensational SW19 journey. Or, for her to merely beat fourth round opponent Ajla Tomljanovic, BetVictor and William Hill are offering 11/10.

    It is the fourth portion of the draw however, that looks the most intriguing, with Aryna Sabalenka 2/1 to reach the semis. Behind the Belorussian though, Iga Swiatek lurks, whilst Ons Jabeur took out former champion Garbine Muguruza, and is 9/2 to make the last four alone.

    The second week at SW19 is sure to be fascinating.