The wizard of odds
Betbrokers' Nigel Seeley - The Wizard of Odds - gives his top betting tips for the week.
The bank holiday temperatures are expected to soar and the sporting action, including the French Open and the Monaco Grand Prix, indicates summer has finally arrived.
The second tennis grand slam of the season starts on Paris’s clay courts and if you are looking for an outsider to end Rafael Nadal’s domination of Roland Garros, forget it!
The king of clay has not lost a singles match in Paris in 21 matches and has only lost twice on the surface in three years.
At odds of 8/11 he looks a sure thing to equal Bjorn Borg’s record of four successive French Open victories.
His main challenge will come from world No.1 Roger Federer, who is still looking for his first French title, but with only one win in nine attempts against Nadal his chances look slim. Federer is 5/1 while young hotshot Noval Djokovic is 13/2.
The women’s event is wide open after defending champion Justine Henin’s sudden retirement last week.
It’s left the bookies searching for a new favourite, with Serena Williams on most lists at10/3. Maria Sharapova is 6/1 but has been in shocking form all season and has a game unsuited to clay.
It’s another tennis babe who gets the Wizard’s vote on and off the court – last year’s runner-up Ana Ivanovic, available at 7/1.
A few hundred kilometres south of Paris Formula One arrives at its most glamorous location, Monaco.
If you can’t make it to P-Diddy’s yacht just sit in front of the telly and cheer on Lewis Hamilton, pictured, to victory at a massive 11/4.
Ferrari dominate the betting, and the season so far, with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa vying with Hamilton but you have to go back to 2001 for the last time Ferrari red was on the winners’ podium in Monaco.
The winding streets of the principality don’t suit the cars and McLaren have been the team to beat there, with five wins in the last 10 years.
Of the last six Monaco GPs, five have been won by the “call on the ball� with overtaking virtually impossible. So have a tentative bet on Hamilton at 11/4 but if he’s on the front row after practice get on again.
RUNNING TOTAL +£149.03
RECOMMENDED BETS
£30 Rafael Nadal to win mens French Open @ 8/11
£10 e/w Ana Ivanovic to win womens French Open @ 7/1
£20 Lewis Hamilton to win Monaco GP @ 11/4
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