It is the start of the new week and a new hunt for value bets for our Lucky 15. Monday night football and both ATP and WTA tennis action should give us plenty to work with. The build-up to the US Open continues with the men at Winston-Salem (I take John Isner to win the tournament, by the way) and the women at New Haven while there is football action from all over the world tonight.
Remember, a Lucky 15 combines four separate bets into one four-fold accumulator, four trebles, six doubles, and four singles, maximising returns if more than one bet comes in.
Here are today’s bets
- Pierre Hugues Herbert to beat Julien Benneteau at around 5/6
- Barbora Strycova to beat Daria Kasatkina at around 23/20
- Villarreal to beat Levante at around 11/8
- Manchester City and Everton to draw at around 9/2
Pierre Hugues Herbert to beat Julien Benneteau
The bookmakers cannot separate this all-French affair, but I think Herbert will have the edge. Neither have great singles form in recent week to speak of, but Benneteau has played just one game on a hardcourt since his Wimbledon exit. Herbert got through qualifying at Montreal only to fall to Jack Sock and played Newport before that. However, he and Nicholas Mahut won the Cincinnati doubles last night, and he will carry some of that confidence into this match, which I think gives him the edge.
Barbora Strycova to beat Daria Kasatkina
Another match which some bookmakers say is too close to call, but we are going to come down in favour of Strycova. Both players fell early in Cincinnati, so will be fresh going into this, and both lost to in-form seeds in Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina in Toronto before hand. When they met earlier in the year, Strycova was a set down when Kasatkina retired in Rome. Strycova is 14-9 on hard courts this season whereas Kasatkina is 7-9 so we give the former the edge in this one.
Villarreal to beat Levante
This is both team’s opening fixture in La Liga, and Villarreal have won the four out of their last five meetings, including a 3-1 win in a friendly at the end of July. Levante have not played since, so I expect more of the same, even if Villarreal’s form in subsequent friendlies was nothing to write home about. Villarreal dominate the head to head historically and at odds-against, are an attractive bet to take another win this evening.
Manchester City and Everton to draw
Manchester City had to work extremely hard to break Brighton down last week, so it is taking Pep Guardiola’s team time to gel together following his transfer activity in the summer. Last season, they could only draw at home to Everton and were beaten 4-0 away. Ronald Koeman’s side has had more competitive games and has not conceded a goal yet, so I think the odds-on for City is misleading. Instead, I am picking the draw at a good price instead.