The eighth edition of ‘Round the Sports World in five minutes’ talks you through the all-important Norris/Piastri showdown at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Formula One, a wide-open tournament in Canada for fans of men’s tennis and what could be a tense and edgy second leg in Europa League qualifying between Braga and Levski Sofia, a match that also provides our betting tip of the week.
National Bank Open (Canadian Open, Tennis)
- Start: Monday, 27 July
- Venue: Toronto, Canada
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports Tennis
- Fun Fact: 8-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl would have wished this event took place more than once a year if his record in Canada was anything to go by. He won the event a record six times, including three in a row between 1987 and 1989, the last of which was against John McEnroe, winning 6-1 and 6-3.
Betting
These days, when a big men’s tournament comes about, the tennis betting is generally dominated by Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, or both. And if they’re not around, then Novak Djokovic is seen as the man to beat, despite a sharp decline in the number of tournaments the record-breaking Serbian wins these days.
But a combination of injury and fatigue means none of the three dominant players in the men’s game will be in Toronto this week.
Whereas that’s a shame for both the organisers and the fans, it does make this a wide-open tournament with Ladbrokes not making any player in the field any shorter than 6.5, with both Alex Zverev and Taylor Fritz available at that price as the joint-favourites.
Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton are next in the betting at 11.0, while Daniil Medvedev, a former US Open winner, looks a big price at 11.0 for a man with such a strong record on hardcourts.
Summary
It’s a Masters 1000 event, meaning there’s no shortage of ranking points and prize money up for grabs, crucial for those players who haven’t yet qualified for the upcoming US Open.
Speaking of which, the North American hardcourts are somewhat similar to what the players will be competing on at Flushing Meadows in a few weeks’ time, so this will be seen as good preparation when the last Grand Slam of the year comes about.
This tournament alternates between being played in Montreal and Toronto, and this year it’s in Toronto. Also, it’s following the new 12-day format used at most other Masters 1000 events, giving players a little more time to rest between matches.
Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix
- Start: Sunday, 3 August at 15:00
- Venue: Hungaroring Circuit
- TV Coverage: Sky Sports Formula One
- Fun Fact: The Hungarian Grand Prix has a history of being a track where future stars guaranteed their first-ever F1 win, such as Lewis Hamilton (2007) and Piastri (2024). But none was more surprising than when Jenson Button did it in 2006 - he had taken part in 113 F1 races before breaking his duck here.
Betting
Last week, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were joint-favourites at 2.75 to win the Belgian Grand Prix. The bookies were spot on here, with Piastri winning and Norris finishing second in another good race at the ever-demanding track at Spa.
That win means Piastri is now on 266 points, with McLaren team-mate Norris on 250 points. If it wasn’t the case already, every race becomes vital in what is now very much a two-horse race for the World Championship.
LeoVegas are taking the same view as the bookies were last week and can’t split the two, making the pair available at 2.6 each. Max Verstappen, who finished third in Belgium, is available at 6.0, and George Russell is at 9.5. The McLaren duo are also joint favourites to get the fastest lap at 2.75.
But in an interesting ‘special’ motorsport betting market courtesy of LeoVegas, Ferrari are strong favourites at 1.66 for the Fastest Pit Stop Award.
Summary
This is one of the more popular venues for F1 fans, with affordable ticket prices, free cooling stations, reasonable prices for food and drinks at the venue, and normally warm weather, all making it a great day out. Last year, the weekend attendance exceeded 300,000. With estimated expansions allowing for more spectators to watch the action, that number could rise in 2025.
As for the action itself, the track is known as “Monaco without the barriers,” a reference to the fact that the narrow, twisting track means overtaking opportunities are limited. Only the most skilled drivers, rather than the fastest, can gain a few positions once the race gets underway.
What all of this means is that qualifying becomes more important than ever here, with the driver guaranteeing Pole Position literally being in pole position to go on to win the race.
The expected high temperatures and an abrasive track make tyre wear almost inevitable. Strategy and quick pit stops will play their part, too.
Sporting de Braga v Levski Sofia Europa League Qualifying
- Start: Thursday, 31 July at 20:00
- Venue: Estadio Municipal Braga
- TV Coverage: SportTV2 (Portugal), Bet365 live streaming
- Fun Fact: Braga may not be full of household names, but there’s one you should really know. Joao Moutinho has played for two of Portugal’s Big Three - Sporting Lisbon and Porto - as well as Monaco and Wolves in the Premier League. He’s also racked up an incredible 146 caps for Portugal, making him the country’s second-most-capped player ever, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 221. He may not play international football anymore, but at 38, he still keeps turning it on when on Braga duty.
Betting
After the first leg finished 0-0, Unibet are making Braga strong favourites to win the match in 90 minutes (1.2) and to qualify to the next round (1.1). But given what happened in the first leg, the 3.8 on the match ending in a Levski win or a draw may see some business.
This one could be a slow burner given the state of the tie, so under 2.5 goals at 2.2 may be of some interest at a decent price.
Summary
Levski put up an excellent fight in the first leg, more than matching favourites Braga in all the key metrics such as possession, corners taken and shots on target. They came away with a deserved 0-0 draw and gave themselves a chance to qualify for the next round as big underdogs.
But there’s still plenty of work for both teams to do to get into the actual Europa League. The winner of this tie still needs to play the third Qualifying Round and Play-off round before they’re in the main draw.
Betting Tip of the Week: Under 2.5 Goals in Braga v Levski Sofia with Unibet
After a tense first leg where scoring opportunities were at a premium, it’s a bit of a surprise that under 2.5 goals is a considerable outsider on the over/under goals market.
As good a team as they are, Braga aren’t the biggest scorers while not conceding too many themselves, as proved by the fact that six of their last nine league matches last season ended in under 2.5 goals.
This could be another tight match where Braga would happily settle for a 1-0 win or take their chances in extra-time if it ends 0-0 again or 1-1. Either way, under 2.5 goals seems very likely.
