igorukr

Several teams showed a rather poor level of preparation at the start of the tournament. Among them is the South African national team. The Czech Republic, with its experienced and more skilful players, should have the upper hand in this match

Cosi Bello is quietly slipping down the rankings among the favourites. But this does not diminish his strength or his chances of victory. This four-year-old gelding from Charlie Fellowes’s stable has won three out of the five races he has contested, including his most recent race at Haydock at the end of April. Paddy Bradley was in the saddle then and remains so today

This four-year-old gelding does not race often, but has already managed to secure three victories. He stands out for his ability to set the pace right from the start and then maintain a high tempo. He has a good pedigree; his sire is Kingman. The Charles Hills stable is backing him specifically at this festival. Judging by the results of this race in recent years, the high draw of number 31 is considered lucky. Billy Loughnane, who already has two wins at this festival, will be in the saddle today

If Switzerland’s attacking players don’t squander their chances as they did in their previous match against Qatar, Switzerland’s chances of winning today’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina will be good

Bosnia and Herzegovina put in a solid defensive performance in their match against Canada. Switzerland attacked well in their match against Qatar, but failed to capitalise on a number of clear-cut chances to score. The Swiss will be on the attack again in this match, and if they have just a little more luck, there will be more than two goals scored.

Wolves are playing at home today, which gives them a slight advantage over Rhinos. In a clash between the league’s top two sides, such an advantage carries considerable weight, so I’m backing Warrington to win this match

The odds are not even for the teams in the Canada v Qatar match. One of the tournament hosts has a better-prepared team, with a particularly strong attacking line-up. A Canadian victory in this match is quite likely

The chances of the two sides in the ATL Dream v IND Fever match are roughly equal. Home advantage could prove to be the key factor here. Indiana have a strong home record, and I’m backing them to win this game

Having put in a spectacular performance at the last World Cup and the recent Africa Cup of Nations, the Moroccan national team could well repeat that feat here on North American soil. The odds of 6.00 are very tempting, and I’m going to take a chance on this bet

Betting on the group winner always carries a degree of risk. Each of the four teams in this group stage is set to play three matches, and a lot can change. The fact that the tournament is being held on the American continent gives teams from that continent a slight advantage. In this situation, Uruguay and Spain have a good chance of finishing top of the group, but with these odds, I’ll be backing Uruguay.