The US Open may be the last Grand Slam of the calendar year, but for tennis players it is certainly one worth waiting for. Outside of the iconic venue and the prestige of winning, players will be more richly rewarded at the US Open than at any other tennis tournament in history.

• US Open Betting on 888sport

In what promises to be an open competition on both the ATP and WTA sides, there will be unfancied players hoping to spring a surprise or two on their way to a hefty reward.

Tennis Betting with 888sport.

Five years ago the USTA made a commitment to elevate the prize money on offer above a staggering $50 million, and they have remained true to their word. The total rewards being dished out has increased by around 9% from last year's figure, taking the offerings up to $50.4 million.

The champions, in both the male and female tournament, will take home $3.7 million in prize money, a record sum that makes this year's incarnation of the US Open the most lucrative competition on the schedule. 

The tournament made its debut in 1881 under the guise of the US National Championships. Richard Sears claimed the first seven men's titles on offer in a truly unprecedented level of dominance.

Whilst certainly impressive, he was somewhat assisted by the rule that instantly granted the winner from the previous year a place in the final. Sears' work was done and he retired after his seventh title, something that has never occurred to Roger Federer.

This rule was abolished in 1912, in theory opening the tournament up to a more varied collection of winners. The battle of the Bills saw Johnston prevail against Tilden in 1919.

Tilden had his revenge, and then some. Tilden defeated Johnston the following year, took down Wallace Johnson the year after, and then triumphed over Johnston again, and again, and again, and again.

Four consecutive victories over Johnston and six consecutive titles marked "Big Bill" Tilden as one of the all-time greats. The following years witnessed the first overseas victories, with the likes of French titan Rene Lacoste and the British legend Fred Perry finding glory on American soil.

In 1968, the US National Championships became officially known as the US Open. As you might expect of a Grand Slam, its list of victors reads like a list of tennis greats. Jimmy Connors took five titles on home soil as did compatriot Pete Sampras, making them the most successful players in the US Open era alongside Rodger Federer.

The tournament takes place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center situated at Flushing Meadows in New York City. The stadiums are famed for the scale, so it is fitting that the largest prizes on offer are available in some of the world's largest tennis arenas.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after the former world number one who took his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 1968, is the biggest of them all, with a capacity of just over 23,000.

As the last Slam of the calendar year, the US Open is the last chance for all players to make an impression on the world rankings. The top eight players from the year participate in the ATP World Tour Finals.

With a raft of injuries decimating the list of current leading players, many players will be licking their lips in anticipation of a deep run at the US Open earning them a spot alongside the world's elite at the end of the year.

The US Open is now the most difficult to predict of all the men's Slams, demonstrated by its varied list of winners. Seven different players have accounted for nine of the last titles, with no stranglehold on the tournament since Roger Federer claimed five consecutive trophies between 2004 and 2008. The days of Richard Sears winning them all are long gone. 

In fact, the seven current active players on the ATP tour to have triumphed in a Grand Slam have found success at the US Open. Rodger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have all added a US Open title to their collection on their path to become this era's Fab Five. In Murray's case, that title was his first Slam trophy and inspired him to future success at Wimbledon.

The other two players are Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic, triumphing in 2009 and 2014 respectively. The US Open represents their sole Slam title, making them two of the most surprising victors across all the Slams in recent years.

Del Potro took down five-time defending champion Federer in the final, as the 6th seed prevailed in a five-set epic. The Argentine would probably have added to that title if injuries had not been cruel to the affable and supremely talented player.

Cilic faced another man in the final looking to win his first Slam in Kei Nishikori, and claimed glory in straight sets in an appropriate culmination of a fortnight for a man who was truly in the zone. Cilic certainly has the ability to beat anyone on his day, and took down Federer in the semi-finals. Beating the Swiss legend is usually a decent barometer of a player's form. 

Cilic will be hoping that he can rediscover the spirit of 2014, as it is likely that only Federer and Nadal will represent the Fab Five at Flushing Meadows. Djokovic and Wawrinka have already declared their absence, whilst there are persistent concerns over Murray's fitness that could result in either a withdrawal or a performance short of the Scot's indefatigable best.

As defending champion, Wawrinka will be particularly disappointed at not being able to attempt to protect his title. If only the rule still existed that would have parachuted him straight into the final; perhaps he could have played through the pain barrier for one match.

Federer arrives as heavy favourite at 6/4, with his form this year suggesting that Swiss domination will continue. But there will always be lingering concerns over his fitness at this age, no matter how effortless he makes everything look. That could open the door for Nadal, although the Spaniard is never as comfortable outside of the clay-court swing.

Or it could open the door for a newcomer to join the pantheon of greats who have triumphed at the US Open. Maybe the stars will align for a more established player who has fallen just short of a Slam title; Milos Raonic at 16/1 and Kei Nishikori at 33/1 have been defeated in Grand Slam finals, and will judge this comparatively open field as a chance for redemption.

Or could it be the time that a youngster makes their mark on the biggest of stages? Look no further than Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev. Thiem looks destined to have more success at Roland Garros as heir to Nadal's throne as King of Clay.

Zverev has had a stellar year, from a title earlier in the year at the Rome Masters marking his credentials to his recent victory in Washington showing that his form is not wavering. 

The young German has struggled to make his mark at previous Slams, but he will take heart from those who have come to the US Open before him and left with a legacy.

Maybe it is time for one of tennis' young stars to write their names in the history books at the US Open, following in the footsteps of so many of tennis' superstars...

www.888sport.com - for all of your tennis betting needs

The most beautiful moment of the year for Euroleague has arrived, when all the most important basketball people of Europe and the World gather to enjoy a weekend full of parties, events and possibly a basketball game or two. So today in 888sport.com we are going to look at these two Final Four games.

• Euroleague Betting on 888sport

The first matchup is Friday at 18:30 local time where we have a classic between CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Pireus at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey. Two teams with a lot of history in European finals come together once again for a game with two different styles of basketball. CSKA reached the semifinal as the most potent offensive team in the league with an average of 87.61 points per game while the Greeks were second best in defense only giving up an average of 73.60 to their opponents. The Russians won both games both regular season games, the first in Greece by 6 points and then in the last game of the season by 4 in Russia. Now in a neutral court the Russians are favored by 5.5 points and I really can not justify using these two results as a betting guide but I can use Final Four history.

If we talk about history between these two we can not forget the 2012 final when the Greeks erased a 19 point deficit in 12 minutes to win the title and then three years later wiped out 9 points in the final 4 minutes to again beat the Russians and reach the 2015 final in Madrid. CSKA does not like the way Olympiacos plays and so I think the 5.5 points are a lot and in my opinion this game will be decided on the last possession. I have a good feeling that the Greeks can pull off the upset and for that they pay us 3.05 but if it’s less risk your looking for then I would take the points to secure my bet.

Olympiacos Piraeus +5.5 @ 1.92

Later in Game 2 at 21:30 the matchup between Fenerbahce Ukler and Real Madrid tips off. The Turks are home in Instanbul but do not be fooled, they are not playing on their home court. I expect to see the entire stadium painted yellow and black but I don’t see this advantage as clear as it was two years ago for Real Madrid when they won the championsip and actually played on their home floor. Fenerbahce are favored by -2.5 points and pay 1.86, while Real at +2.5 pays 1.97. With numbers like that the people at 888sport.com beleive in a Turkish victory but I see things differently. Real has undoubtedly been the most consistent team throughout the year and face a Fener team that has been everything but consisitent. I have no idea which Fenerbahce team will walk out of the locker room Friday night but in these cases I always like the team that has showed me consistency throughout the entire season.

Real Madrid to Win @ 2.28.

Not much longer before this show starts, enjoy and good luck !!

It is April and welcome to the NBA playoffs, sit back and enjoy because we will be here for a while. The playoffs begin on April 15th and if we are fortunate enough to go to a seven game final like last year it will not end until June 18th. That is a long time to enjoy the best part of the NBA season and also take advantage of some nice betting and money making opportunities in 888sport.com.

• Euroleague Betting and odds

The first look we will have is in the Eastern Conference where we saw what some might call quite a surprise, the Boston Celtics are the leaders and have home court throughout the playoffs in the East. Their first round Matchup though will not be an easy one as they will face the Chicago Bulls. They split the season series 2-2 with each team winning on their home court. Three of the four games were tightly contested before a 20 point Celtic victory on March 12th. This will be a closer series than most 1vs.8 in the past but we should see the Celtics moving on to the next round.  BOSTON CELTICS 4-2

The second seeded Cleveland Cavaliers basically gave away the first seed to the Celtics by resting their stars throughout the season with a “we don’t care, we can beat anyone, anywhere and anytime attitude”. They will face Indiana in round one and have pretty much dominated the Pacers this season. With a 3-1 series lead this year the Cavs won those three games by a total of 29 points with the only loss on November 16th in Indiana. The Cavs usually turn it on this time of year and want their stars to rest so I see them sweeping the series in four games to get those extra days off. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 4-0

The young Milwaukee Bucks have found themselves in the playoffs as a 6 seed and will face the Toronto Raptors who finished third but with the same 51-31 record as the Cavs. Toronto is one of those teams that is always hanging around the top but can never finish come playoff time. They should get by the Bucks who are just happy to be here but will give Toronto some problems but the Raptors will advance to face the Cavs in the next round. TORONTO RAPTORS 4-2

The 4vs5 matchup is usually the more difficult playoff and has the most possibilities of going to a seventh game but not this time around. The 4th seeded Washington Wizards face the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards could not of asked for a better pairing in the first round. They matchup perfectly with the Hawks and have won the last three games including a 26 point blowout in Atlanta on January 27th. The Wizards play the Hawks well and should be looking forward to facing the Celtics in the next round.  WASHINGTON WIZARDS 4-1

Enjoy these playoffs in the East and remember to check back here for some betting tips and angles throughout this years playoffs in 888sport.com.

Anadolu finshed the last 10 rounds of the competition with an 8-2 record and stormed into the playoffs as the sixth seed. They of course face the third seeded Olympiacos Piraeus who who has one of the most difficult courts top lay on in all of Europe.

• Euroleague Betting on 888sport

The Peace and Friendship stadium will be host to the first two games of the series and right now we will look into game one with some help from 888sport.com. The home team is the favorite by 6.5 points and pays 1.94 to 1 and the game total is set at 151.5 which pays out 1.91 to 1. The team split their season series with two games that do not have much bearing on this playoff. Game 1 was played way back in round 2 and the Greeks enjoyed a 24 point blowout but had the favor returned in round 29 just a couple of weeks ago with a hard fought 8 point win for the Turks. These games do not give us much to work with and either does the fact that Olympiacos limped into the playoffs with three straight losses.

This information makes this a difficult game to find the best betting angle but luckily I have done some research for you. Olympiacos is a very defensive team and at home only allow 70 points a game to their opponent and rank second in Europe allowing only 74.2 points throughout the 30 game schedule. Anadolu i son the opposite side of this spectrum and allow 83 points a game and plays more of an uptempo type of game. Looking at the numbers and knowing a little about playing in this famous stadium my prediction is the Olympiacos defense should suffocate the turks. The final of this game should be in the mid to low 70s. My prediction would be a final score of 76-69 which keeps us below the threshold of 151.5. This is a tough game to call but I honestly believe defense determines the result in Athens…….. UNDER 151.5 @ 1.91 or we can look deeper into 888sport.com and find a better payout, for example…….UNDER 147.5 @ 2.38. Points will be hard to come by in this game. Remember, the last game in Istanbul only came in at at 146 total points and in game one Anadolu was only capable of putting up 66 points………..LOVE THE UNDER!!!!

Good Luck

The first two games to start the Euroleague playoffs this Tuesday are very good opportunities to make some extra cash with 888sport.com. There are many different philosophies when you start a five game playoff but the most important of them is to pull out all the stops to win that first game. This philosophy is consistent for both the home team and the visitors. Tuesday the 17th of April we get started in Russia with CSKA Moscow facing Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz, then in Greece it’s Panathinaikos Superfoods and Fenerbahce Istanbul. Now let's go over some important keys and find where we're going to make our money.

• Bet on Euroleague

CSKA is at home where they are one of the most dominant teams in all of Europe and I’ll leave you with a little information here to understand exactly what I mean, 14 victories with only 1 defeat at home this season. Of those 14 wins the Russians  average margin of victory was 14.35 points per game and that  includes their 112-84 destruction against Baskonia in round 9. It should also be noted that Vitoria has lost 10 consecutive games in Moscow since 2005. With all this information, one would think we should bet on CSKA but the win only pays 1.12 to 1 at 888sport.com. CSKA are also favorited by 11.5 points which pays a little better at 1.91 to 1. If you ask me the 11.5 points could be too much for this first contest because the norm in these cases is the road team does everything they can to try and pull off the quick surprise. That's why I think if we look towards the over/under of 165.5 points we give ourselves more options to win. These teams like to score and and I do not expect any type of defensive battle. The play here is OVER 165.5, which also pays 1.91 to 1 and I feel is less risky.

The matchup between Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce is another chance to win some cash. Two teams that are in the playoffs thanks to their intense defense and I do not think their styles will change much during this series. The biggest problem for the Turks is their inability to score points while they hold teams to a low output and that’s reason I give a big advantage to the Greeks in game one. The atmosphere in Athens and home court advantage will be two reasons that Panathinaikos should fly out of the gate and get off to a fast start. In 888sport.com the Greeks are favorites by 3.5 points and I think they will cover this number but it is paying only 1.84. The alternative bet which is a Double Opportunity bet for Panathinaikos knowing that they will come out very strong in the first half and should win the game. In Double Opportunity we play the 1/1,that means the home team will be leading at the end of the first half and also will win the game. This bet is a bit more risky but pays much better at 2.20 to 1.

We can play each one as individual bets or combine the two bets  which will increase our profits to a 4.20 to 1 payout. I honestly like both these plays so feel free to do as you please just make sure to get in on the fun.

Good Luck.

Well, it is finally upon us after watching an incredible 30 game regular season the playoffs will commence on April 18th and the first matchup will see last years champion CSKA Mocow at home taking on Baskonia Vitoria.

• Euroleague Betting Odds

Other matchups will be Panathinaikos against Fenerbahce where the Greeks outlasted the Turks to hold on to home court advantage.The city of Athens will be filled with basketball that week because Olympiakos was not to be outshined by Pana and also have home court for their five game playoff against Anadolu Efes. The final series of course is the regular season champs Real Madrid facing Darussafaka who had to fight until the 30th round to seal their ticket into the playoffs.

There you have it, the four playoff rounds that we have been waiting for and now I want to take a look here at the odds that 888sport.com is giving to each team to take home the trophy this May in Istanbul.

Real Madrid has taken over as the favorite paying 2.50 to win this competition in 888sport.com. The constant favorite has been CSKA Moscow throughout the season but suddenly find themselves paying 2.75. The change no doubt was slight but very justified as I see Real Madrid being the more complete team right now as the regular season has come to an end. These future bets can be fun and give us something to look forward to as the Final Four approaches but when I look to these types of bets I like to look for value.

I will analyze later each matchup to see where the money can be made but right now let me explain what I mean by looking for value. Here is a look at the top five favorites and what they pay as of Monday April 10th;

2pt">REAL MADRID                     2.50

2pt">CSKA MOSCOW                   2.75

2pt">OLYMPIAKOS                       7.50

2pt">FENERBAHCE                      9.00

2pt">PANATHINAIKOS                9.00

To be honest, I will not waste your time with the other three, although they pay extremely well I do not see much of a chance of them arriving to the Final Four in May so we will stick with the top five.

I will immediately drop Fenerbahce from this list, even though they would be playing in Turkey and they have decent value as last year's runner up, they have finished the regular season in a free fall and are just not the team they were last season so I do not give them many options to win. We are looking for value so I will also drop Real Madrid and CSKA from my list because they pay little and I think we can profit from them on a game by game basis.

So with three of the five scratched off our list we are left with the two Greek teams. Olympiakos paying 7.50 and Panathinaikos at 9.00. Both teams have home court advantage for the 5 game series but I give the advantage here to Pana against Fenerbahce strictly based on their defensive strength versus a Turkish team who has had trouble scoring. Both Greek teams will almost certainly be in the final four which should make Istanbul a fun place to be but who are we going with?

If Panathinaikos moves on they will face Real Madrid in the Semi Finals and Olympiakos would most likely face CSKA Moscow. Both of these matchups do not sit well for the top teams because the Greek style is to win with strong defense and a physical presence, both Madrid and CSKA like to score. The Finals are usually a slower paced more defensive game which makes me think we can actually see the distant possibility of an all Greek final.

Looking for where to make money I would say that any play here on the two Greek teams would be a good play but in an all Greek final I would go for the bigger money winner and the hotter team down the stretch.

PANATHINAIKOS @ 9.00

We have arrived to Round 29 of the Euroleague and things are slowly taking place for the playoff picture that will begin on April 18th. The top three teams are set although the exact order is yet to be determined but there is still a battle brewing  for the fourth place spot and home court advantage as Fenerbahce is slowly slipping with consecutive losses to Macabbi and Anadolu, plus head to Spain this week to face Real Madrid.

• Euroleague Betting on 888sport

Panathinaikos and Baskonia faced off last Friday and the spanish side let a huge opportunity slip by. With a win Baskonia would of pulled into a tie for the fourth  position and own the head to head advantage over Fenerbahce but it was Panathinaikos that looked like the more experienced team and pulled out a very impressive win on the road. The big matchup this week is Panathinaikos at home against CSKA Mosow who also reamins in a fight for first place with Real Madrid who as I mentioned facing Fenerbahce at home this Friday. It is a wild ride on top of the standings but now let me look at how wild things are getting for that eighth playoff spot that still remains open.

Darussafaka and Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) have one game separating them for that final spot and find themselves in a very precarious position. Darussafaka travels to Germany this week to face Brose Basket who seemed to give up two weeks ago but then went on the road to beat Milan last week while Darussafaka took care of Galatasaray at home to stay alive. The main reason they remained in the hunt has been Red Stars inability to clinch a playoff spot with two losses last week to Olympiakos at home and a decimated Barcelona team in Spain.

These two teams will face each other next week in the final round of the regular season that just might be an all out fight for that final spot in Turkey. The head to head right now is held by Darussafaka thanks to a three point road win in Belgrade way back in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague season. This sets up without a doubt as the game of the week depending on if all goes right this week. In the scenario that the Turks lose to Brose and Red Star takes care of business at home that final game will become irrelevant. Considering how this season has gone I doubt that will happen but no matter what Darussafaka must go on the road and win their most important game of the season, that is until next week……………….Stay Tuned!!

Just when you thought the Euroleague could not get any more interesting than it already is we have the final double session week of the season with only four games remaining before the playoffs. Still only three teams have qualified for the playoffs as everyone fighting for the other spots did not let the pressure get to them and all stepped up in Round 26 with major victories.

• Euroleague Betting and odds

Red Star, Anadolu Efes, Darussafaka and Zalgiris Kaunas  all won their important games to stay in the fight for those final playoff spots while Baskonia and Panathinaikos did what they needed by defeating the two top teams in the league. The Greek side beat Real Madrid on Thursday and Baskonia took care of CSKA Moscow to remain tied for the 5th position, but only two games from fourth place Fenerbahce for that final spot to obtain home court advantage. Let’s look at a couple interesting games for this weeks action right here.

If you have followed me throughout the year you have seen that I love Red Star, especially when they play at home and on Wednesday night they will face Olympiakos in Belgrade. In 888sport.com the home team is favored as I expected, by 2.5 points but I am not so sure about this game. The Greeks are paying 2.23 to win the game outright and if you take the 2.5 points with Olympiakos it will pay 1.97. The reason why I will go against Red Star is simply because the Greeks will be looking to avenge last weeks home loss to Galatasary. A victory in Belgrade will clinch home court advantage for Olympiakos and I can’t help but to like them in this type of position. I know Red Star in all reality needs this game more but I see Olympiakos being the stronger team…… OLYMPIAKOS TO WIN @ 2.23

Game two, also Wednesday night will be El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona. We all remember the 39 point victory by Real the first time these two teams played each other earlier in the season. Normally here I would say look out for the revenge factor and take the 9.5 points that 888sport.com is giving to Barcelona but these two teams faced each other 10 days ago in the Spanish league and Barcelona gave Madrid all they had and still lost by one point when it was all said and done. I am not sure Real will trounce Barcelona by 40 points again but a win will secure they have home court advantage also. This game will be tight for a little while but Real should run away late……REAL MADRID -9.5 @ 1.91

Enjoy this week, it’s the last double week of the season and Good Luck!!!

This is exactly what everyone in the Euroleague offices wanted when they decided to change the format to a round robin and having every team play each other twice a season. This league is as tight as it can be considering we did not see any team classify for a playoff spot until the end of the 24th week of competition. Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow and Olympiakos are the first three teams to enter into the playoffs but niether of these teams is guaranteed the home court advantage yet.

• Euroleague Betting on 888sport

The first eight teams enter into the 5 game playoff that will commence on April 17th and go until May 2nd, if any of the series reaches it’s fifth game which I can almost assure you that at least one them will. Right now the fight is for those final spots and it looks as though Fenerbahce will kind of limp into the playoffs with 16 victories but the real fight is between the fifth and tenth place teams. See graph at the bottom.

Scheduling is so important now also although there are few easy games in this league. Let’s look at the remaining teams schedules that are fighting to reach the playoffs.

-- 5th Place Baskonia had a huge road win in Fenerbahce last week and receive CSKA at home this Friday but after that they look ok with four games against teams with a combined record of 42-58

--Panathinaikos has a bit more complicated future with Real Madrid at home, Baskonia on the road and CSKA at home in three of their final five games.

--Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) Schedule is not so difficult but have three road games where they do not play their best especially after the 30 point loss in Madrid last week. The good news is the most difficult game they will play is against Olympiakos but that will be played in Belgrade.

--Anadolu blew a chance to solidify things last week with an awful home loss to Brose Basket to push them down to eigth position. It’s not hard to see the magnitude of that loss since they finish the last three weeks at home against Fenebahce, Olympiakos and end the season in Real Madrid. Tough road for a team clinging on to that final playoff spot.

--Darussafaka has been fighting and hanging around that 8th-10th position for some time now but not realy able to sneak into those top eight spots. They are a team to keep an eye on because 3 of their last 5 games are at home. The most difficult matchup is at CSKA in round 27, let us not forget that it was the Turks who handed CSKA their first loss of the season in week 7 so they should be looking for revenge.

--Zalgiris at 11 wins is the most desperate of the teams and played that way last week to make an amazing comeback and beat Panathinaikos at home to keep them alive. They start at Unics this week then have another huge home game with Anadolu which makes these next two games imperative to the Lithuanian club. It’s too early for Zalgiris to look ahead since they need to win at least 4 of 5 and look for help from other teams along the way.

Enjoy these final five rounds of the best basketball that Europe has to offer. Every week should be a new scenario for all these teams fighting for those final spots. Look back soon for some money winning tips also.

5. Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz  14-11       
6. Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens  14-11 
7. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade  14-11 
8. Anadolu Efes Istanbul  13-12 
9. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul  12-13 
10. Zalgiris Kaunas  11-14