The 2018 Formula One season begins at the end of March with Lewis Hamilton looking to defend his Drivers’ Championship crown. The 33-year-old won his fourth title last season, beating rival Sebastian Vettel with a dominant run of form down the stretch.

Hamilton will now search for his second title on the bounce, which would take him clear of Vettel and level with Juan Manuel Fangio with five crowns, leaving him behind only Michael Schumacher. However, the Brit will be tested in his quest for the crown throughout the course of the season.

Vettel will lead the challengers, with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas along with Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo also pushing for the Championship. It promises to be an enthralling battle and we’ll now break down our betting markets and tips for the 2018 season.

Drivers’ Championship Winner

The first item on the docket is deciding who will win the Drivers’ Championship. It’s a fairly simple task of picking the winner, with the best odds available before the start of the season before the results come thick and fast - although there will be a market for every driver on the circuit.

Experts will tell you there are six true contenders for the crown but they will come from the three leading teams; namely, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. The last winner that did not come from one of those outfits was Jenson Button in 2009.

In the last 17 seasons, only three drivers have triumphed when not racing for those three elite sides – Fernando Alonso, Hamilton and the previously mentioned Button. Consider value when lining up a bet on the Drivers’ Championship but there also has to be a realistic angle, so focus on the top six drivers – Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Verstappen, Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen.

The key points of the season are the opening three races of the term, with the drivers beginning to settle into their new cars. Vettel last season got off to a good start to put Hamilton under pressure. However, after Mercedes were allowed to adapt at the mid-season break, the Brit reigned in his rival. The middle break in the term proves to be just as important as the start of the campaign and is certainly worth monitoring.

Constructors’ Championship Winner

Another simple way to bet, which is simply lining up the team that will attain the most points in the campaign and combining the scores of their two drivers into a sum total.

Again, it’s dominated by the elite teams and it's not hard to predict which side will be up there at the end of the campaign: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. In the last 10 seasons, only Brawn has managed to break the stranglehold of Mercedes and Red Bull at the top of the standings.

Even Ferrari has endured a drought, failing to win the Constructors’ Championship since 2008 when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen combined to win the crown. This is reflected in the Italian outfit’s 7/2 odds for the 2018 campaign.

Pre-Season Prop Bets

There are a few proposition bets that can be made before the start of the season. For instance, there are markets available for how many victories Hamilton et al will have over the course of the term. The same bet can be made regarding pole positions and retirements.

Hamilton has averaged 10 wins per year since 2014, which could be worth tracking in an over/under market. Vettel has averaged two wins a season in the same time period, which is incredibly noteworthy in the battle for the crown. Retirements ruined the 2017 campaign for Verstappen and to some degree Ricciardo.

The Dutchman was forced out of seven races last term. Reliability has been an issue at Red Bull, making the completed races market one to watch, especially for the Austrian outfit.

Race Winner

The simplest bet to take during a Grand Prix weekend is picking the winner of the race. Hamilton will likely lead the way with the shortest odds due to his dominance over the last four seasons. Vettel will not be far behind him.

Therefore, you will not find the best value by choosing a race winner. Indeed the two drivers, especially Hamilton, have their fortress venues where they are rarely beaten. As a result, it’s worth analysing where they are weaker. Hamilton, for example, has struggled at the Australian Grand Prix, recording just two wins in 11 attempts.

Compare that to his record in China and the United Kingdom, where he has notched five victories on each circuit over the course of his career. Analysing the circuits is also a worthwhile venture. The tight corners of Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix throw up interesting results – therefore it’s worth paying attention to past records at venues before taking a punt.

Pole Position

Another form of punt for the racing weekend is decided on the Saturday before the race. Earning pole is all about the speed around the track rather than the specific tactics for the Grand Prix. The odds will be shortest on the leading teams, with the usual suspects. However, it has been known to spring a surprise or two in recent history.

Practice sessions before qualifying can offer an insight into how the battle for first place on the grid will fall. There’s no exact science behind it but, again, monitoring past successes on the circuit along with form could yield positive results.

Podium Finish

This bet allows the possibility for drivers for the lesser teams to feature in your bet, picking a competitor to finish in the top three of the Grand Prix. You will see the less fancied drivers weave their way into contention at least on a handful of occasions over the course of the season.

The value of the odds drops from winner to podium due to the greater chance of success. As a result, monitoring form and perhaps experience at a venue could see the bet be a fruitful endeavour.

Top Six Finish

Placing a bet for a driver to finish in the top six offers a different market to break up the monotony of winner or pole bets. Value is affected due to the stronger possibility of the result. However, if you fancy one of the lesser-known competitors to pull off an upset, it’s worth a crack.

Fastest Lap

The market is simply who does the fastest lap of the track. Usually, it will be the leading car due to open space ahead of the driver. However, it has been known to throw up surprises now and again.

Paying attention to qualifying is key for this market to assess the speeds of all cars on the circuit and whether they will be able to replicate the form on race day.

Margin Of Victory

This is an over-under for the margin of the driver’s triumph on race day. The market will offer odds on over/under six seconds, or 10 seconds depending on the comfort of the win. Incredible small and large margins of victory will have the best value as close finishes and truly dominant victories are rarely seen on Sundays. Therefore, it will be best to back them to yield a healthy profit.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

All eyes will be on the desert on Saturday as Meydan hosts another great renewal of the Dubai World Cup.

Created through the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai World Cup provides a truly global stage upon which the best horses in the world come to compete every year.

The US$30m race day is held at Meydan Racecourse on the last Saturday in March and the showpiece in undoubtedly the US$10m Dubai World Cup, won in 2017 by Arrogate.

Bob Baffert’s even money favourite for the race, West Coast was given a less-than-favourable draw for Saturday’s big race.

The four-year-old colt was drawn on the outside in stall 9 out on 10 at the official post-position ceremony on Wednesday.

Second in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream, Baffert’s runner will need all the help he can get from his pilot Javier Castellano to negotiate his way past all his rivals drawn on the inside of him.

TALISMANIC (nap) presents a great opportunity for Andre Fabre to finally add his name to the Dubai World Cup roll of honour list.

The Frenchman runs Talismanic, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf winner and based upon jockey bookings and cap colours he appears to be the first choice of the two Godolphin runners in the race.

Talismanic was runner up to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Highland Reel in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase back in December, then was given a prep race at Chantilly earlier this month where he beat stablemate Cloth Of Stars.

Talismanic tackles Meydan's dirt track for the first time but connections are confident he will covert to it well.

Thunder Snow, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, is their other runner in the 10-horse field.

Thunder Snow went to the United States for the Kentucky Derby last year, and although his bucking bronco act eliminated him at the start, he later won the 2017 Prix Jean Prat on turf in France, and has been running well on the dirt this winter at Meydan. 

 Thunder Snow certainly has decent credentials to be competitive in this race. He won both the UAE 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby last year. He was runner-up twice and won the middle leg of the Al Maktoum Challenge in his three starts at Meydan but the only bugbear in this contest is his wide draw.

The former Godolphin inmate North America ran six times in England when trained by Charlie Appleby. Since then he has been moved to the Middle East and is now trained by Satish Seemar, the handler at the Zabeel Stables.

Arriving there in the summer of 2016, North America racked up four wins on the trot at Meydan Racecourse.

The six-year-old gelding comes into the reckoning after winning the Dubai World Cup prep race, the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge, in a track record time. In his past three outings he has improved on every start, from third on his reappearance, and then runner up to Thunder Snow before avenging that defeat to beat that very same horse by seven-lengths.

It would be somewhat of a fairytale is Gunnevera and trainer Antonio Sano were to lift the esteemed Dubai World Cup trophy.

Gunnevera heads into the $10 million Dubai World Cup off a third-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup.  The four-year-old colt has finished behind West Coast in the past three starts and will be hoping to turn that form around with him on foreign soil.

The chestnut runner has won five of his 15 starts including a victory in the Group 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes last March.

Japanese raider Awardee brings along plenty of experience but has not won at this level.

A six-race winning streak from September 2015 to November 2016 has been followed up by failing to trouble the judge in his last eight starts. He has however finished runner-up in two Grade 1’s in that time.

Furia Cruzada finished second-last in the race won by Arrogate twelve months ago but her connections are hoping for a better showing this year.

She finished fourth to Thunder Snow and was an impressive runner-up to Promising Run, only going down by a short head. On Super Saturday, Furia Cruzada finished third behind North America and Thunder Snow in the third round of the Al Maktoum Challenge.

To date the females in this race have failed to break the male stronghold and her odds appear to reflect that herculean task.

Bob Baffert’s other runner Mubtaahij was runner-up behind California Chrome in 2016 and fourth to Arrogate last year. It will be a case of third time lucky for Baffert’s six-year-old who also has the favourite West Coast in the line-up.

The six-year-old Forever Unbridled will be attempting to become the first female winner in the 23-year history of the race. To date, To The Victory (Jpn) has been closest when second to Captain Steve in 2001.

Pavel has shown promise since his debut as a three-year-old in July of 2017 at Santa Anita Park.

He proved his class last September registering a win in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx scoring by six lengths. A subsequent third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park cemented his credentials and his passport to Dubai.

Connections will be hoping to at least get in the frame to cover their expenses.

 

Conclusion

Even money for an unfavourably drawn horse is always a risky betting proposition and many people will be looking for a longer priced alternative.

Master French trainer Andre Fabre is well overdue adding this race to his illustrious C.V and Talisman is the each-way play in the race.

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City travel to Goodison Park on Saturday night knowing that victory over Everton will give the Blues an opportunity to clinch the Premier League title against Manchester United.

With that in mind, City are the obvious play this weekend; the champions-elect will want to secure the crown against their fierce rivals.

Predicting the first game back after an international break is never easy but all of the omens point towards an away win here. Pep’s men are on the road to greatness and this is another step in the right direction.

As with most City matches these days, there isn’t much value in backing the Blues at 7/20 but there are a few tasty markets available with 888sport.

Fancying a dominant away win? You can back City to score three or more goals at 7/5 and plenty of punters will fancy the Blues at that price.

However, I’m expecting Guardiola’s men to produce a controlled effort rather than a ruthless one. City will still be effective in attack but the 13/10 for a win to nil is much more appealing for me.

For any optimistic Everton fans, a repeat of last season’s incredible 4-0 victory against City is currently priced at 300/1.

Allardyce’s side have struggled for goals since the former England manager took over at Goodison Park and the Toffees will need to be at their brilliant best to get past this stubborn City defensive unit. This one could be very comfortable indeed…

With so much riding on next week’s clash with United, City may cruise through this clash in second gear. However, they cannot afford to take Everton lightly – the Toffees snatched a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season and could spring a surprise.

The hosts are appealing at 47/20 in the double chance market; plenty of Toffees will be getting on that. Everton do tend to save their best performances for the big games and City will be wary of an onslaught.

Pep is meticulous in his preparation and the Spaniard will be expecting the Toffees to make a fast start. Slowing the game down in the early stages is vital for City; getting through that first 15 minutes unscathed could make the world of difference.

Morgan Schneiderlin is one to consider in the card betting markets. The former Manchester United midfielder is prone to picking up the odd yellow card here and there – 3/1 is a decent price for the Frenchman to receive a card this weekend.

City will be looking to counter on a regular basis and he may be tasked with breaking up their relentless attacks.

Could Everton surprise us? Yes. Will they? Only time will tell. For me, City should have too much for their opponents this weekend and the Toffees may struggle to stop Guardiola’s offensive juggernaut.

As per usual, the visitors will dominate possession and another win beckons ahead of that pivotal Manchester Derby…

TIP: Manchester City to win to nil @ 13/10

CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Everton 0-2 Manchester City (6/1 with 888sport)

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Super Sundays are often quite unsuper. This one, though, is a bit different. In part, that’s because any Premier League football seems wildly exciting after the international break.

This international spell was not the worst. There was actually some decent stuff, but friendlies are just not quite the same as the end of the league season. The return of competitive, meaningful football is dearly appreciated.

These two matches are the best of the weekend. That’s not always the case on Sundays, so we can consider ourselves truly fortunate.

ARSENAL vs STOKE CITY

Arsenal and Stoke have a rivalry going back decades. It has flared up since Aaron Ramsey’s horrific leg break against the Potters, however. The Gunners fell to defeat in the reverse of this fixture earlier this season, which further extended their poor run in the Potteries.

Stoke require a win against their old rivals. The club are at a low ebb after an idiotic Charlie Adam red card saw them lose at home to Everton last time out. Only three points from safety doesn’t seem too concerning, but Paul Lambert’s side have a challenging schedule and have won just one league match in 2018.

The hosts have had their own struggles this calendar year, taking 10 points from nine matches. The thrashing of Watford brought an end to a losing streak in the league, but Arsene Wenger is still likely to be replaced at the end of the season. Arsenal have been good at the Emirates, though, scoring more home goals than everyone in the league other than Manchester City.

We can have a pretty good guess at the pattern of this one. Arsenal will have somewhere between 60 and 70% possession, while Stoke look to sit back and give the ball to Xherdan Shaqiri. Stoke’s defence is a million miles from the resilient rearguard of the Pulis years. Kicking it at Shaqiri and hoping he does something has been the extent of Stoke’s attacking play of late.

I don’t see anything other than a comfortable Arsenal win. Lambert has focussed on making Stoke harder to beat, but they don’t look like scoring any goals. Arsenal have nothing on the line here, that’s often when they’re at their best.

TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ 4/9

CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 3-0 Stoke City (Priced at 15/2 with 888sport)

 

CHELSEA vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

It’s do or die time for Chelsea. The reigning champions need a win to have any chance of a top four finish. Their 11 points from nine league matches in 2018 reflects how much Antonio Conte’s side have struggled of late. The Blues have scored just 26 goals at Stamford Bridge in the league this season, only one more than Everton have managed at home in the same number of matches.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are on a great run, taking 24 points from their last 10. Mauricio Pochettino’s side can go eight points clear of Chelsea with a victory, which would as good as secure their own spot in the Champions League for next season.

via GIPHY

The absence of London derby master, Harry Kane, is impossible to ignore ahead of this. As fantastic as Heung-min Son has been this term, Kane’s injury is an immense boost for Chelsea. Spurs do still have more than enough in the final third to trouble this Chelsea back line that has been prone to error for much of the campaign.

This should be a relatively open encounter. Chelsea cannot opt for the defensive tactics that Conte has reverted to at times this season, while Spurs will be keen to move the ball quickly and expose Chelsea in transition. The midfield could easily become crowded, Conte might opt to put a third body alongside Cesc Fabregas and Ngolo Kante as a result.

I fancy goals in this one. It’s hard to call given the unpredictability of the hosts this season, however. It could be one of the matches of the season, given the plethora of diverse attacking talent on display.

TIP: Over 2.5 goals @ EVS

CORRECT SCORE PREDICTION: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham (Priced at 12/1 with 888sport)

 

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*