The World Cup begins a week on Thursday so the football action this week is all about international friendlies and putting the final touches to the starting 11. England play Costa Rica at Leeds Elland Road ground on Thursday and Gareth Southgate go could one of two ways. He could start the match with the players he has penned in for the first match in the World Cup against Tunisia or give the fringe players a chance. William Hill have 11 players at 1/4 or shorter to start that match which suggests the side is set in stone. Injuries could be a fly in the ointment and something else could go wrong but in any case ENGLAND should be Costa Rica and that outcome is 1/3 with Coral. All roads then lead to Russia and the 2018 World Cup.
RAFAEL NADAL has won the French Open 10 times and he is now 1/3 with Betfair to win another title in Paris. The King of Clay is virtually unbeatable on the surface and it would take a huge upset for the Spanish player not to win the French Open. He has lost just one match on the surface during the European clay court season during which he played four events leading up to the second Gran Slam tournament of the year. The match between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev could determine who Nadal plays in the final and THIEM is the tip at 8/13 with Ladbrokes.
The first four Classics of the season have now been run and Royal Ascot takes place in two weeks. Despite all the live football ITV are showing all 30 races live over the five days of the meeting. The main betting action this week will be on two feature races at Haydock on Saturday. The John of Gaunt Stakes and Pinnacle Stakes will be decent contests but nothing like the quality of the racing at Ascot. The pick of the ante post bets is STRADIVARIUS to win the Gold Cup at 3/1 with Boylesports. There is a decent handicap hurdle at Newton Abbot today (3.20) which CULTIVATOR can win and the best price is 9/2 with bet365.
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