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Surprising Favorites Enter WSL's Corona Bali Protected

Thom Cunningham for Bookies.com

Thom Cunningham  | 

Surprising Favorites Enter WSL's Corona Bali Protected

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The third World Surfing League (WSL) Championship Tour event is here, the Corona Bali Protected.

Filipe Toledo enters the event with the best odds to win for men (+400), despite never winning in Indonesia.

Stephanie Gilmore enters Indonesia with the best odds to win for women (+400), despite also never winning the event.

There has actually been just one winner for men and women in this event, as this year marks just the second edition of the Corona Bali Protected.

Is Florence the Men's Favorite at Corona Bali?

The polarizing John John (JJ) Florence enters Indonesia with the best odds to win the WSL Men’s Championship Tour title (+225).

He currently sits atop the men’s leaderboard with just over 16,000 points.

Through two events this season, Florence has a 2,000-point lead over Italo Ferreira who is currently in second place.

Florence is coming off a victory during the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and has seen two straight top 3 finishes already.

Florence beat Toledo during the Rip Curl event, so it’s somewhat surprising to see Toledo’s name ahead of Florence’s for the Corona Bali Protected odds.

Both surfers, however, have the best odds to not only win but to also reach the finals.

JJ’s odds to win in Indonesia are currently +500 while his odds to reach the finals are +200.

For Toledo, he has odds set at +175 to reach the finals.

Ferreira Not Getting Respect

Despite how well Florence has performed so far this season, perhaps Ferreira is not getting enough respect entering Indonesia.

Ferreira currently finds himself in second place on the WSL World Championship standings with roughly 14,000 points.

He won the Quiksilver Gold Pro Coast to begin the season and then finished in fifth place during Rip Curl.

Ferreira, with one win under his belt already, now enters an event he won a year ago.

His odds to repeat as the Corona Bali Protected champion are currently +550, which are the third-highest for men.

He also has odds set at +225 to reach the final round, both seemingly great value bets for someone who won the event last year and already won an event this year.

Jordy Smith is also someone to keep an eye on this event, as the South African surfer has seen back-to-back Top 3 finishes this season.

Who are the Women's Favorites at WSL Corona Bali?

Gilmore, as mentioned earlier, has the best odds to win the Corona Bali Protected for women. She has odds set at +160 to reach the finals as well.

The odds are a bit surprising, as Gilmore has seen back-to-back fifth place finishes.

Her somewhat underwhelming performance to start the season has Gilmore ranked fifth in the WSL Women’s Championship Tour rankings.

Gilmore also did not win last year’s Corona Bali Protected, so seeing her name atop the favorites list is somewhat concerning.

Carissa Moore currently has the best odds to win the WSL Women’s World Title, given odds at +350. She also has the second-best odds to win in Indonesia (+500) behind Gilmore.

These odds are, too, concerning as Moore has yet to win an event this season and ranks fourth on the WSL Women’s World Title rankings.

Despite the dominance Moore and Gilmore have had in the WSL throughout their careers, their current odds to win in Indonesia and the Championship Tour seem to have little conviction as of today.

Which Women's Surfer Should You Back?

There are three other female surfers to consider backing if the slow starts from either Moore or Gilmore concern surfing bettors.

Lakey Peterson won the Corona Bali Protected a year ago, as she enters this year's event with odds to win at +600.

She also has odds set at +225 to reach the finals, but Peterson has yet to reach the finals of an event this season.

Courtney Conlogue is coming off a victory at the Rip Curl event, entering Indonesia with odds to win set at +700.

The most intriguing pick, however, may be Caroline Marks – who has been very impressive through the first two events of the season.

Marks has the second-highest odds to win the WSL Women’s Championship Tour, set at +400.

She currently sits atop the rankings list in first place and is the only female surfer to finish both events in the Top 3, while also winning one.

It should also be worth noting that Marks won the 2018 Rookie of the Year Award and is the youngest female surfer on tour.

Malia Manuel is a dark horse name to keep an eye on, as Manuel has seen back-to-back top-three finishes this season.

Outside of Marks, Manuel is the only female surfer to accomplish that feat this season.

About the Author

Thom Cunningham for Bookies.com
Thom Cunningham
Thom Cunningham, a former statistician for STATS, Insights and digital producer for Spectrum SportsNet, has 11 years of sports coverage experience.