Sports bettors in Europe have plenty to look forward to in 2024, with the upcoming schedule packed with a ton of top-class events taking place across the continent.
With that in mind, we have scoured the calendar to come up with our top three betting tips for next year, starting with one which will please Cristiano Ronaldo fans.
Al-Nassr – Saudi Pro League
Ronaldo raised plenty of eyebrows when he left European football to head to the Middle East last December, but the move appears to be working out for him. The 38-year-old has been a standout performer for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League this season, bagging 13 goals and seven assists in 12 appearances.
Ronaldo’s team are four points adrift of Al-Hilal at the top of the table, but they are the value bet in what is shaping up to be an epic title battle.
The two sides are yet to play each other this season, which gives Al-Nassr the opportunity to close the gap between now and the end of the campaign.
Odds of 3/1 with several online bookmakers will tempt savvy punters, particularly with Ronaldo showing no signs of slowing down despite being in the veteran stage of his career.
He will be desperate to win silverware with the Riyadh-based outfit before linking up with Portugal at the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
City of Troy – Epsom Derby
We switch to the United Kingdom and Ireland for our next betting tip on a horse which has been touted as a potential future superstar by his trainer.
Leading Irish handler Aidan O’Brien waxed lyrical about City Of Troy after the horse romped to an emphatic success in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse last month.
Several respected pundits believe City Of Troy could emulate the feats of the mighty Frankel, who went unbeaten for 14 races during his illustrious career.
Online sportsbook operators have been suitably impressed with the son of Justify, installing him as the Evens favourite to win the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next season.
If City Of Troy wins that race, odds of 5/2 on horse racing betting sites in Ireland to win the Epsom Derby in June will quickly disappear.
City Of Troy is strongly fancied to be the leading three-year-old next season and looks a good bet to record a succession of Group One victories.
Portugal – European Championship
While it is fair to say that Roberto Martinez is not everyone’s cup of tea as a football manager, people must respect the job he has done since taking charge of Portugal.
It looked a tough ask for Martinez when he replaced Fernando Santos at the start of year as he inherited a squad low on confidence after their quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, he has overseen a perfect qualifying campaign for the 2024 European Championship, guiding Portugal to ten successive victories in Group J.
A record of 36 goals scored and just two conceded will send Portugal to the tournament in a buoyant mood and they could be extremely tough to stop next summer.
Martinez has united a dressing room which contains plenty of sizeable egos and built a team which looks greater than the sum of its parts.
The 2016 European champions are a best-priced 9/1 to lift the prestigious trophy and should give punters a good run for their money in Germany.
