2020 will soon be upon us, and we will be saying goodbye to a year in sport that brought us yet another Patriots Super Bowl win, a very rare World Series win for the Nationals, the continued brilliance of Simone Biles and the return of Novak Djokovic to the top of men’s tennis, among many other brilliant highlights.
What will 2020 bring? It’s always difficult to say with any certainty, but we have scoured the global sports calendar to bring you five smart betting picks for 2020. The aim, as such, is to highlight where the value is, rather than highlight outright certainties, so feel free to disagree.
A New French King is Crowned
There has been talk of a changing of the guard in men’s tennis for at least a decade, but the trio of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal simply have not moved from the top. But, finally, there seems to be a generation of young players coming through that could really dominate the game. Those include Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Alexander Zverev. We like the latter’s chances in the French Open, and he comes in with some tasty odds of +2300 with Bwin. The battle-hardened Rafael Nadal is the hot favorite, of course. But every reign must come to an end sometime, and Zverev seems to enjoy the test on clay courts.
A Beantown Double
It’ll take many more years for the city of Boston to catch up with New York as America’s most successful sporting city, but it has really been top dog in the 21st century. The Patriots and Bruins to win their respective championships this season looks like one of the smartest betting parlays around right now. Yes, people are very hot on the Ravens for the Super Bowl, but one could make a case that the Patriots’ experience could see them squeeze out another championship. The Bruins, meanwhile, really look like Stanley Cup winners. The combined parlay pays around +3700.
England Finally Wins Something
For just over half a century, the England men’s soccer team has delivered disappointment after disappointment to a nation that claims to have invented the game. Bad teams, good teams with bad coaches, average teams with big egos and rotten luck have all played their part in that time. Yet, today, England boasts one of the most exciting young teams on the planet. 888sport go +550 that the young England team can turn potential into silverware with victory at the 2020. Crucially, should they make it to semi-finals and finals, England will have a home advantage at Wembley Stadium.
Jack Nicklaus Starts Trending
In December 2017, Tiger Woods was ranked outside the world’s top 1,000 golfers. But he has got his career firmly back on track with that stunning Masters win back in April. He now has 15 Majors to his name, three behind the legendary Jack Nicklaus. If Tiger continues to show top form, the whispers will start that he can match – or exceed – that haul of 18, which looked so out of reach just a year ago. Betfair gives Woods a +400 price to win any of the four Majors in 2020. Very tempting.
America Gets a New Olympic Hero
Despite his retirement, Usain Bolt still casts a long shadow over men’s athletics. Indeed, when such a legendary figure steps away from the spotlight, it can take a while for an event to find its identity again. In September 2019, Christian Coleman blasted his way to the Gold Medal in the World Championships with a 9.76 second time, making him the sixth-fastest man in history. He has time to improve further before the Tokyo Olympics, and the even money that he takes home the gold looks interesting from William Hill, especially given there is no standout competition.
