Best bets and predictions for day nine of the 2024 Paris Olympics: Tough test for Hudson-Smith in 400m

Where to watch the Olympics in the UK and Ireland

Daily coverage on BBC, RTE and Discovery+

Best bets for day nine

Quincy Hall to win men's 400m
1pt 13-4 bet365

McKenzie Long to win women's 200m
1pt 10-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Lotte Kopecky to win women's road race
1pt 21-10 Betfair

India men's hockey to beat Great Britain
1pt 23-10 Betfair

Paris 2024 Olympics day nine predictions

Athletics predictions

Starts 9.05am
By Phil Agius

Great Britain have a favourite for a men’s athletics gold at the Olympics with 400m ace Matthew Hudson-Smith but at odds of no greater than 13-10 he can’t be considered a value bet.

The event looks to be one of the more open track competitions and challenges to the favourite could come from several directions in solid field.

Hudson-Smith, 29, has continued to bring his personal best time down throughout his career and went under the 44-second barrier with a European record of 43.74 in the Diamond League meeting in London last month.

The 2018 and 2022 European champion took silver in the 2023 World Championship and is in the best form of his life, but he faces a strong challenge led by America’s Quincy Hall.

The former 400m hurdler began to concentrate on the flat only last season but is the only other man to dip under 44 seconds this season after clocking 43.80 in the Monaco Diamond League meeting.

Hall won the individual bronze and relay gold at the 2023 world championship and looked sharp when winning the US trials. At 3-1 and above, he rates a value alternative to Hudson-Smith.

Kirani James is a familiar name in the field after winning gold, silver and bronze in the last three Olympics but the Grenadian, 31, is priced between 12-1 and 25-1.

The biggest threat to the top two may come from 2022 world champion Michael Norman, who was second to Hall in the US trials, fading close home.

In the other men’s events starting on Sunday, Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou is a strong 4-9 shot in the long jump and the 110m hurdles should go to one of the strong US team, with Grant Holloway, unbeaten this year, the 2-9 market leader.

The women’s 200m could produce a close finish and there’s a chance of a surprise result. Britain’s Dina-Asher Smith will hope she can provide it and, as the 20-1 fifth favourite, the 2019 world champion cannot be ruled out.

American’s Gabby Thomas heads the market but evens looks a skinny price about the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist. She won the US trials but it was a tight battle against Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long with the talented Sha’Carri Richardson failing to qualify in fourth place.

Long could be the value at double-figure odds. The 24-year-old college star has more potential to improve than most and has medal potential.

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson has won at the last two World Championships but is hard to trust after pulling up with an injury in her last race before Paris, causing her to abandon a bid to compete in the 100m.

Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh is 1-5 to win the women’s high jump after setting a new world record of 2.10m recently but Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, the Tokyo silver medallist, should push her hard and is 9-2 for gold.

World record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a 2-9 chance for the women’s 400m hurdles but can expect a strong challenge from 2023 world champion Femke Bol and the Dutch athlete is not without a chance.

Cycling predictions

Starts 1pm
By Jack Ogalbe

Our selection Remco Evenepoel overcame a puncture to power to Olympic gold in the men's cycling road race and Lotte Kopecky looks well set to make it a Belgian double in the women's edition.

A rolling 158km route builds towards three ascents of the Cote de la butte Montmartre before the run down to the finish on Pont d'Iena in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

World champion Kopecky is the justifiable favourite to repeat her win at last year's World Championships, and her compatriots are expected to execute a similar plan in attempting to support her to the line.

That's in contrast to her rivals, including the Dutch trio of Demi Vollering, Marianne Vos, and Lorena Wiebes. The race situation will likely decide who the Netherlands prioritise and strategy could also impact the Italian pair of Elisa Longo Borghini and Elisa Balsamo.

Kopecky is tough to oppose so it is also worth spying some each-way value. Evenepoel also won the men's time-trial and women's TT champion Grace Brown could emulate him at a tempting 22-1.

The soon-to-be-retired Australian will be full of confidence and has the support of her team. If Brown can stay in contention on the climbs, she could be tough to beat on the fast run down to the finish.

Hockey predictions

Starts 9am
By Phil Agius

In a stunning coincidence, the line-up for the men's hockey quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics is exactly the same as it was for the Tokyo tournament three years ago. That means Great Britain have a chance to avenge the 3-1 defeat they suffered against India last time, but they look underpriced at evens and India have to be the value bet at 23-10.

India finished second to tournament favourites Belgium in Group B, recording an impressive 3-2 victory over Australia in their final game of what was arguably the tougher of the two groups. Great Britain lost 2-1 to Group A winners Germany in their last outing and look overrated in the market, although they have shown plenty of fighting spirit in some close finishes so far.

The most competitive quarter-final contest may be the one between Netherlands and Australia, with the Dutch side out get revenge for their shootout defeat by the Aussies in Tokyo.

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.