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Olympic Rowing: Finals Preview

Jack Houghton picks the best bets for the rowing finals.

Women's Single Skulls

Having put Zhang up before the Regatta at [26.0] in the win market and [8.0] in the podium finish market, things are looking good. She's the fastest qualifier for the final, over a second ahead of three-time World Champion Karsten, and is now only available at [4.8] to take gold. Karsten is still a [1.4] shot, which looks short to me, as I now make China's Zhang favourite. I recommend backing her for 2pts at [4.8].

Recommended: Back China 2pts [4.8]

Men's Single Skulls

The New Zealand team are having a difficult regatta; and no one more so than Mahe Drysdale. I put the three-time World Champion up at [1.65], but a bout of diarrhoea and vomiting saw him lose 4kg prior to his semi-final and he only scraped through in third place. Now at [3.3], the market revolves around whether Drysdale can recover in time and I'm still hopeful; but it's not a market to get involved with again.

Women's Pair

I put up China at [2.6] beforehand and, although the favourites bombed in their heat, they qualified through from the repechage in the second-fastest time. I'm still relatively confident and see no value elsewhere in a relatively illiquid market.

Men's Pair

Canada were recommended pre-Olympics at [9.0] and, despite winning their semi-final in the quickest time, are still available at [7.2]. Australia are sure to go close, but they should be no better than joint favourites. I recommend a further 1pt bet on Canada at [7.2].

Recommended: Back Canada 1pt [7.2]

Women's Double Skulls

New Zealand got within a second of China's time in their semi-final and look a real danger to overturn the hot favourites of Li and Tian. Put up at [1.7], China are now [1.64] shots and on relative performances so far don't look value, but neither do New Zealand at [3.6] and I'm happy to hold the original bet and hope.

Men's Double Skulls

Similarly to Drysdale, the New Zealand pair of Waddell and Cohen only scraped through to their final when finishing third behind Australia in the semi. It's not clear why they underperformed, but I'm certainly not confident of them being able to beat Australia and France in the final. France, easily the fastest qualifiers, look value at [4.5] and I recommend a 2pt bet.

Recommended: Back France 2pts [4.5]

Men's Four

This event has been a disaster from a betting point of view and my snide attack on the Britain crew and recommended lay at [3.0] has been repaid with a dominant performance that has seen them qualify imperiously for the final. The two nations put up in opposition - New Zealand and the Netherlands - haven't even qualified and my only hope of a result is that Australia can outperform their [5.6] odds and turnover the Britain boat at [1.33]. But I ain't holding my breath.

Lightweight Women's Double Skulls

Recommended at [14.0], the Netherlands, as fastest qualifiers, look the most likely winners. Australia, put up at [4.0], qualified behind the Netherlands but look unlikely to win. The market is fairly illiquid, so it's difficult to recommend a bet, but the Dutch crew still look value at around [3.3].

Lightweight Men's Double Skulls

This looked complicated before the heats but looks a bit clearer now. Britain won their heat in the fastest time, over a second ahead of Denmark. Britain, currently available at [1.72] look value to win that final and a 2pt bet is recommended.

Recommended: Back Britain 2pts [1.72]

Lightweight Men's Fours

Recommended bet China haven't qualified for the final and recommended lay Britain have. Denmark and Poland look sure to fight it out however, and that lay looks safe. Those two crews are coupled at about [1.13], which looks right, and I won't be getting involved again.

Women's Quadruple Skulls

The USA have qualified for the final but the recommended [14.0] bet looks like a loser as they have 20 seconds to find with the best crews. The recommended lay of Britain at [3.0] is still a solid proposition. They're about that price now and will struggle to beat China, who were two seconds quicker than them in the heats. At [1.64], a 3pts bet is recommended.

Recommended: Back China 3pts [1.64]

Men's Quadruple Skulls

This looked difficult beforehand, and with less than two seconds separating all six qualifiers in the semi-finals, it looks worse now. This probably explains the illiquid market and, at the current prices, no bet can be recommended.

Women's Eight

Romania, the winners of Heat Two, look value at around [3.0] to beat the USA. They were a second quicker than those rivals in qualifying and I'd recommend a 1pt bet.

Recommended: Back Romania 1pt

Men's Eight

I put up China as a potential podium finisher in this, but they failed to qualify for the final in heats dominated by Canada and Britain. There were only fractions between the two crews on the clock, and they both looked comfortable. It's hard to understand therefore why Canada are odds-on and, at [2.6] Britain look the value call. I recommend a 3pts bet.

Recommended: Back Britain 3pts [2.6]