As eight became four in the European Championships, England and Italy excelled their status as tournament favourites. 

After a resounding four-goal victory over Ukraine in Rome on Saturday night, Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions moved to 15/8, closely followed by Roberto Mancini’s Italy, who are priced at around 2/1 after they outfoxed Belgium in the quarter-final. 

Meanwhile, a brace for captain Harry Kane saw his odds for the Golden Boot slashed from around 25/1 to about 8/1 as the Spurs man rose to the second favorite for the crown, two goals behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Another stellar performance from Raheem Sterling led to him leading the list of players picked for the player of the tournament, in a market that is nonetheless, still wide open.

 

Wimbledon began to heat up as Emma Raducanu readies for her second week of action after the 18-year-old upset the odds and defeated Sorana Cirstea on Saturday. 

It’s still all to play for in the women’s tournament, with Ashleigh Barty the odds against favourite, whilst Novak Djokovic is the clear pick with betting operators to earn the men’s game.

There were concerns that a small field in the Coral-Eclipse would hinder the spectacle of the event. However, an exhilarating race saw even money market leader, St Mark’s Basilica, capture the crown. 

Across the pond, the absence of star man Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t stop the Milwaukee Bucks from securing the Eastern Conference and setting up an NBA Finals tie with the Phoenix Suns. 

Perhaps the injury to their key man is what has led to the Suns being slightly favoured by the bookies for the crown, as the opening series begins on Wednesday. 

The Weekend in Review: Tournament favourites excel at EURO 2020