Best bets and predictions for day four of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Marchand can march on to more glory

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Best bets for day four

Mariano Navone to beat Lorenzo Musetti
1pt 2-1 general

Both teams to score in Ukraine vs Argentina
1pt 4-5 Coral, Ladbrokes, Hills

Leon Marchand to win men's 200m butterfly
2pts 4-5 Betfred

Belgium men's hockey to beat Australia
1pt 11-4 bet365

Cassandre Beaugrand to win women's triathlon
1pt 2-1 Betfred, Paddy Power

Paris 2024 Olympics day four predictions

Tennis predictions

Starts 11am
By Aaron Ashley

The last 16 of the men’s singles will be finalised at the close of play on Tuesday and Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, who claimed gold in Tokyo four years ago, will expect to still be going strong following his second-round showdown with Tomas Machac.

Having finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in Paris in the French Open last month, Zverev is evidently in fine fettle and should run out an emphatic winner.

Jack Draper will be hoping to keep the British medal hopes alive but clay looks a vulnerability of his so he may be up against things in his clash with American ace Taylor Fritz.

Therefore, the best bet of the day on the Parisian slow courts may be for Argentina’s Mariano Navone to upset Wimbledon semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.

Navone can be difficult to predict but he thrives on clay, having made two ATP Tour finals on the surface this year, while he defeated Musetti 7-5 6-1 in their only slow-court clash in a Cagliari Challenger event in May.

Football predictions

Starts 2pm
By Jamie Griffith

There is still plenty to play for with one game remaining in the group stage of the football. Spain and Japan have already secured a spot in the quarter-finals with France looking set to join them, but there is still plenty of intrigue in Group B. 

All four teams are locked on three points, with Argentina currently top on goal difference, so the final matches in the section could be exciting to watch. 

La Albiceleste were beaten 2-1 by Morocco in their opener but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Iraq. They have the strongest squad in the section, but Ukraine will be motivated after beating Morocco 2-1, despite being reduced to ten men in the 63rd minute, and could hold their own in Lyon. 

Javier Mascherano has struggled to implement his knowledge of defending at the highest level into his young squad yet, with Argentina's backline looking vulnerable throughout the tournament. 

They conceded five shots on target against a weak Iraq side and have failed to keep a clean sheet in France. Given Ukraine racked up an impressive 5.18 expected goals across their two matches so far and both teams have scored in the pair's combined four games in France, it could pay to back Ruslan Rotan's team to net alongside La Albiceleste in Lyon. 

Swimming predictions

Starts 10am
By Phil Agius

France's Leon Marchand has a chance to become the face of the Paris Games after his sensational win in the 400m individual medley and he can raise the roof of the aquatic centre again with victory in the 200m butterfly.

Marchand destroyed the field in the medley, winning by 5.67 seconds in a new Olympic record, and is hard to oppose. He won this event in the third-fastest time in history when posting 1:52.43 to win the 2023 world championship, having won silver the previous year.

World-record holder Kristoff Milak of Poland missed that meeting due to mental and physical exhaustion but is due to line up in Paris and is the 3-1 second favourite as he bids to deflate the home crowd.

Hockey predictions

Starts 6.45pm
By Phil Agius

It's the third round of games in the men's Olympic hockey tournament on Tuesday and the top game on the card sees Australia taking on Belgium in a match that could end up deciding who wins Group B.

Both teams have won their first two matches in a tight and competitive group but the Red Devils look underrated at 11-4 to secure a third successive win. Neither side has really cut loose yet, with the Aussies beating Argentina 1-0 and Ireland 2-1, while Belgium have seen off Ireland 2-0 and New Zealand 2-1. Both teams are contenders for gold, and Belgium look a decent bet to win this crucial group game.

In Tuesday's other matches, Great Britain are 3-1 to beat the Netherlands after coming back to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw with South Africa last time out, while Ireland have battled well in both games so far but are 7-1 to upset unbeaten India.

Women's triathlon predictions

Starts 7am Wednesday
By Phil Agius

Bookmakers are finding it hard to separate Great Britain's Beth Potter and Cassandre Beaugrand of France at the top of the betting for the women's Olympic triathlon, but the home hope looks the more solid pick.

Potter will back herself in the run having appeared in the 10,000m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but the French star impressed when cruising to victory in the recent world championship event in Hamburg when Potter was only third and should prove hard to beat with the Paris crowd roaring her on.

Beaugrand was part of the French team who took team relay bronze in Tokyo and leads the world rankings, so 2-1 looks a decent price.

Defending champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda is a legend of the sport and has fought back to fitness after a lengthy injury layoff, so can't be discounted, while Britain has further chances with Tokyo silver medallist Georgia Taylor-Brown and the fast-improving Kate Waugh.

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