This week’s tennis at the Rogers Cup has been full of upsets. Well done to anyone who picked Shapovalov beating del Potro and Mannarino beating Raonic. On the other hand, this week’s football has seen favourites mostly prevail, which has made betting a testing experience.
Today we have third round matches in the tennis to focus on as well as some limited football betting opportunities.
With a Lucky 15, however, your four separate bets are combined into one four-fold accumulator, four trebles, two doubles, and four singles to maximise returns if at least one selection comes in.
Here are today’s tips:
- Football: Bury v Sunderland – both teams to score at around 4/5
- Tennis: Sam Querrey to beat Kevin Anderson at around Evens
- Tennis: Gael Monfils v Roberto Bautista-Agut – over 2.5 sets at around 5/4
- Tennis: Catherine Bellis to beat Caroline Garcia at around 5/6
Bury v Sunderland – both teams to score
We are seeing a pattern in this week’s League Cup action of the favourites winning, whether they are home or away, but being pushed hard by the underdogs. We can explain this because they are fielding weakened selections. Therefore, we fancy Bury to get on the scoresheet against Sunderland, who were hardly impressive when drawing with Derby last time out. Bury have not failed to score in four so take both teams to score at around 4/5.
Gael Monfils v Roberto Bautista-Agut – over 2.5 sets
Monfils saved multiple match points against Kei Nishikori before prevailing in a third-set tie break yesterday, while he also needed three sets to see off Steve Johnson in his first round match. While he has the power and the game to beat the gutsy, but not dominant Bautista-Agut, he is still some way off his best form and fitness. While I tentatively think he will win, I think the safer bet is to gamble on them playing three sets before one of them prevails.
Sam Querrey to beat Kevin Anderson
Querrey was not favoured by many to come through against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but he did and that sets up a Wimbledon fourth round rematch against Anderson. He is available to back at Evens which represents a value bet for me. I was courtside when he beat the South African at SW19, and I see a repeat victory. He is working his way into this tournament, and I do not think that Anderson’s easier route to this point is an advantage. Both are in excellent form, but right now, Querrey’s all-round game is in better shape. Expect plenty of aces and the American to win.
Catherine Bellis to beat Caroline Garcia
Bellis is fast making a name for herself in women’s tennis, and not just because she downed an outside tip of mine for the tournament in Julie Georges yesterday. With wins over Petra Kvitova, Georges and Svetlana Kuznetsova to her name in the last couple of weeks, no wonder the bookmakers cannot separate her and Garcia for this one. We are backing the 18-year-old to continue her stunning run as Garcia’s form this week and last has been patchy, to say the least. This is their first meeting, and that could favour Bellis, who will be an unknown quantity for Garcia.