Lionel Messi consoles former team mate Ronaldinho

The Argentines look like a class soccer act inspired by the brilliance of Lionel Messi and validated by their trouncing of Brazil in the semi-finals, but Nigeria are reborn post the African National Cup and could have the muscle to push them out of the game, if the referee lets them which on the semi final evidence he may not. In the 1899 Hoffenheim striker Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi they seem to have unearthed a potential new star. Nigeria are goods odds to cause an upset.

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Bet Brazil

The Olympic women’s soccer final bnetween Brazil and USA is an intriguing clash of cultures, north and south, samba v charleston, history and expectation versuses new girls on the block, plus for Brazil the girls will want revenge after Argentina’s trouncing of the men in the Olympic semi final. Marta is the star and Brazil are 19/1 to win 3-0. Good bet?

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China’s Man Zhong celebrates victory in the men’s individual sabre with a dramatic theatric posture

Bet on high jump

One of the hottest favourites of all the Olympics is Blanka Vlasic at an astonishing 13/100. Second in the betting trailing in at 11/1 is Yelena Slesarenko. Blanka is named after Casablanca where her father Josko was representing Croatia in the Mediterrnean Games when she was born in 1984. She became world chanmpion in 2007 and has an unbeaten run of 34 competitions and gone over two metres in 48 events.

Bet athletics

Events may conspire against Britain’s  Paul Radcliffe in the Beijing marathon. She looks set to run at all costs but at 6/1she seems short odds. Firstly there is the damaged femur which has been rested for most of the summer. Then there is the heat in August. And the smog. And the hills. This does not look like a race designed for her. The favourite is the local Chunxio Zhou, winner of the London marathon in 2007. She is very short odds at 3/1. Also very tight odds is the 36 year old Catherine-the-Great Ndereba, the former world record holder from Kenya. It is a tough ask for anyone on the day. Anothert local contender who is more interesting odds is the improving Zhu Xiaolin at 24/1

Bet hockey

Argentina’s Luciana Aymar in practice in the still evident smog at Beijing…

Argentina and Holland are the joint favouirties for the women. But China could also be interesting bet in this event lurking on the shoulders of the front runners betting at 7/1. Team GB are 39/1

Bet Brazil

The Brazilian women are out for revenge after the agony of defeat last year in the FIFA 2007 world final against West Germany in Shanghai

The Olympics do not officially open until Friday but for those of you who want to be quick off the mark some events start early. The women’s football is up and running and  Wednesday sees a reprise of the 2007 final against West Germany. The twice world champions Germany and the Americans are favourites followed by Brazil and Sweden to win the gold medal. The Germans will be tough to beat, they won last year without conceding a goal. Like the men though, Brazil are known for their attacking strength. There is live betting at 10.00.  New Zealand are rank outsiders at 500/1. Korea also play Nigeria which could be an interesting clash of physiques. Last year the games averaged 3.47 goals a time.

For those of you who have never bet on waterpolo before…your moment is about to arrive. This is the Montenegro team who are 7.50 to win the gold medal in Beijing. In fact the formbook says the eastern Europeans have a bit of an advantage and pits Hungary, Serbia and Croatia for the medals ahead of this year’s favourite team Spain at 13.00 and Italy at 20. Bet on water polo here

In the women’s waterpolo though the Americans are hot favourites at 3.25 ahead of Italy and Australia and only Hungary squeeze into the betting at 8.50. What is it about you Monetenegro boys, don’t you let your girls into the pool? Bet on women’s waterpolo here.

It is not clear where the medals are going for the host nation at the Olympics but the news wires for the last two months have been filled with pictures of ceremonies, welcoming robots and now these China girls practising their go go dancing on the beach, in case you needed to know what a troupe of Chinese go go dancers look like or might have mistaken them for primitive natives beating their breasts in the hope of invoking some holy spirits,

One possible prediction for the women’s tennis doubles though could be Taiwan. The pairing of Chan Yung Jan and Chuang Chia Jung picked up the women’s title at the Los Angeles WTA last week. They might be worth watching especially if the Williams sisters don’t agree to compete for the USA. The odds are not up yet because each nation’s team has yet to be finalised and can be subject to withdrawals but worth keeping an eye on.

Bet on Olympic road race

Frank Schleck in the yellow jersey holding back for an assault in the Tour de France. He is 9/1 to win  Olympic gold. The favourite is Athens winner Paolo Bettini - see below getting a huge smacker after winning the first stage of the Austrian tour.

With the Tour de France still fresh in the mind after a great race and fears of doping now seemingly being manhandled physically out of the sport, the serious betting man’s attention turns to the Olympic road race, all 245 kilometres of it, just a day’s outing in terms of the Tour De France’s three weeks but the dream of glory and medals alive. Pollution could still be a factor here as the smog over Beijing is still three times higher than predicted or even promised. The favourite is this sites most applauded name - Paolo Bettini. Bettini skipped the exhausting Tour de France and opted for the Austrian tour instead. He won in Athens four years ago and is the man to beat. His nickname is the cricket because likes to attack and jump ahead on his own. Tour de France runner up Australian Cadel Evans is in the mix too but at an unfancied 27/1

Bet on Oympic cycling here