Best Bets for 2023: Antepost betting tips for the year ahead

The New Year is upon us and there’s plenty to look forward to in the sporting world in the coming 12 months. We’ve asked some of our team here at BettingOdds.com to provide us with their Best Bets for 2023 from a range of sports. 

Football

PSG to Win the Champions League @ 7/1 bet365

By Jack Kitson

I was eyeing up the Lionesses for World Cup glory this summer but the European Champs are just a touch short for my liking at 10/3, instead I’m backing PSG to finally end their elusive search for the Championship League trophy.

Now could be an ideal time to back the French giants, given that they are nicely priced at 7/1 in the betting. Not only do they have the two stand-out players from the World Cup in their ranks, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, but a tactically-astute manager in Christophe Galtier. A statement win over Bayern Munich in the last-16 could well prove to be the springboard for success.

Horse Racing (Cheltenham Festival)

Home By The Lee to win the Stayers' Hurdle 2023 - 6/1 (general)

By Billy Grimshaw

There will be some shrewdies on this horse at much fancier prices than the 6/1 available to us at the time of publication, but there is still plenty of value in backing HOME BY THE LEE to win the 2023 Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The Stayers' Hurdle is often considered the ugly duckling of the Championship races at the Festival. Nobody goes into racehorse ownership dreaming of winning a Stayers', the horses that end up here are usually quirky sorts who have been tricky to find the key to or have failed when attempting chasing. This leads to frequent winners beginning the year as rank outsiders due to their temperamental nature and Home By The Lee certainly fits into that category.

The 8 year old actually ran in the race last season and was well beaten in sixth behind Flooring Porter, however this campaign he has beaten the reigning champion fair and square twice. First he sprung a 28/1 shock in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan, before proving that effort was no fluke in the Jack De Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

These are quite simply the two strongest pieces of form coming into the race and Home By The Lee is inarguably a much better horse this campaign. He is being slightly disrespected at the current odds and to my eye should be clear favourite as the best of the Irish, so take the price now and hopefully come March we'll all be celebrating with the Joseph O'Brien team!

UFC

Glover Teixeira to beat Jamahal Hill @ UFC 283 - 11/10 Betfair

By Luke Hamilton

The organisation's first numbered event of the year takes us to Brazil where this Light Heavyweight title bout headlines. We've reached this conclusion in Rio de Janeiro after a comedy of errors involving injury rescheduling, refused matchmaking and a subsequent draw for the vacant belt.

Having declined the offer to face Magomed Ankalaev to crown a champion at UFC 282 in December, Teixeira must prefer his chances against the striker Jamahal Hill. Glover has the home advantage, and if he can avoid taking significant damage from the dangerous Hill, he will have enough in his locker to reclaim the Light Heavyweight title.

The bookmakers don't see the Brazilian being able to stand with the younger Jamahal, but you can't underestimate the vast experience he has over the American in the UFC (22 fights compared to Hill's six). The #7 ranked contender Hill will be ecstatic to get an opportunity he may otherwise have not been afforded under such circumstances, and that along with Teixeira's ability to mix it up between grappling and keeping things on the feet gives him a huge tactical advantage.

Tennis

Alexander Zverev to win the French Open @ 14/1 (general)

By Steven McQuillan

Alexander Zverev had a heart breaking end to his Roland Garros run in 2022 where he was seemingly getting the upper hand of Rafael Nadal in the physical battle only to take a hard fall at the end of the second set which ultimately led him to coming out in a wheelchair and forcing him to retire. 

He didn't return to the tennis court for 7 months where he has recently started his comeback in a few exhibition games. Thankfully he will have plenty of time to recover and should be in his best shape for the French Open which is in 5 months time. 

Zverev was never considered to be an exceptional clay court player but the past two years have proved us all wrong. He has managed two back-to-back French Open semi final appearances and has an overall record of 106 wins and 42 losses on the clay surface.

Nadal is always the main threat at any French Open but with time no longer on his side, I worry injuries may seriously hinder his chances to claim another title in France. 

Elsewhere Carlos Alcaraz is an obvious choice but with a disappointing end to his breakout year, I am not convinced he is yet to be the final package. Djokovic has been hit or miss on the clay surface and the next biggest threat for me would be Casper Ruud who I do believe is a great player and had a wonderful 2022. 

With Sascha's experience on the surface and specifically the French Open, 14/1 looks a big price for when he is back in full swing in the tennis circuit.

Football

Aston Villa To Finish in the Top Half of the Premier League @ 6/4 bet365

By Anthony Eadson

After just 13 wins in 40 matches Steven Gerrard was sacked for the first time in his career. A breath of fresh air at the start, but a lack of goals and some questionable tactics along with poor results cost him his job. Unai Emery is now the man in charge and his appointment is looking like a positive move for the club. Villa put in one of their best performances of the season with an impressive 2-0 away win at Tottenham on New Year's day and are now moving in the right direction. 

Emery's men are currently 11th in the Premier League table and are just three points away from the top half and he has inherited a squad that is brimming with talent. More additions could well arrive in January at Villa Park and it would be no surprise to see them improve on their first half of the campaign and make their way into the top half. Teams above them such as Fulham could struggle to maintain the form they have shown in recent months, while a potential suspension for Brentford's Ivan Toney due to breaking betting rules could be a huge blow for the Bees.

Bet365 go 6/4 for Villa to finish in the top-half this term, which appears a very generous price, with other firms such as Betfair and Paddy Power having this same bet as short as 11/10

Horse Racing

Sounds Russian to win the Grand National - 40/1 Paddy Power

By Steve Chambers

Reigning Grand National hero Noble Yeats looks bound for a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, so the Aintree showpiece could be wide open in 2023 and one that stands out at 40/1 is Ruth Jefferson's SOUNDS RUSSIAN. A sparkling winner at Kelso earlier in the season, he was then outclassed in the Grade 2 Many Clouds Chase at Aintree.

However, he showed his class when staying-on eye-catchingly well in the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby to finish second to Into Overdrive on Boxing Day, and he shaped like a real stamina test would play to his strengths. Not out of the first four on all six chase starts (three wins), Jefferson's progressive raider could be a lively player at huge odds.