Punters set to revel in Olympic Games bets

The Beijing Summer Olympics looks all set to be the biggest and best Games so far, bringing the global audience and Olympic Games betting to new heights.

Some 10,500 athletes will contest 302 events across 28 sports, but as usual much of the betting focus will be on the athletics track and in particular the sprint events.

The three fastest times set by a 100m sprinter have all occurred in the past 12 months, which will add even more spice to that event in Beijing.

Jamaican Asafa Powell ran 9.74 seconds in September last year, Tyson Gay of the USA got within three-hundredths of that time in June and between times Powell's fellow countryman Usain Bolt set a new world record of 9.72 in New York in May.

It suggests the race will be open, and many people will be having Olympic Games bets on Gay maintaining America's supremacy in recent 100m Olympic finals.

Justin Gatlin won gold last time, with his compatriot Maurice Greene, who had won gold four years previously in Athens, only two-hundredths of a second behind in bronze - Portugal's Francis Obikwelu was the silver medallist.

The USA showed its strength in the 200m in Athens, delighting those who had taken up their Olympic Games odds with a clean sweep of the medals led by Shawn Crawford.

Olympic Games betting on 200m wide open

There were some students of the sport who were hoping to place Olympic Games bets on Tyson Gay repeating his feat at last year's World Athletics Championships by winning the sprint double. But Gay will miss the 200m in Beijing, leaving the field open to the likes of Bolt, who won world championship silver in that event, and fellow American Walter Dix.

Athletes who have been in form in the 200m so far this year include Jamaica's Nesta Carter, who won the event at the opening Golden League meeting in Germany, Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas who won in Bislett and Obikwelu, who edged Atkins by the narrowest of margins in Rome. All three are likely to be among the favourites in the Olympic Games odds when the 200m heats begin.

Nadal and Federer top two in Olympic Games odds

Another major focus of Olympic Games bets will be tennis, where all fans will be anticipating a rematch between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, following their epic Wimbledon singles final.

Nadal may start a slight favourite in the Olympic Games betting, for his better record on the surface and his victories over his rival at Wimbledon and in the French Open final. But the Swiss star will be more than keen to make up for his defeat on Centre Court.

Nine of the world's top 10 men and a similar number of the top women are expected to be on hand in Beijing, giving the event a real star flavour and making life difficult for those keen to master Olympic Games betting.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Games odds on the USA men's basketball team recapturing the gold it won eight years ago in Sydney are likely to be short. But as Athens proved in 2004 nothing can be taken for certain with outsiders Argentina having triumphed over Italy in the final.

The USA team is incredibly strong this time, boosted by the presence of NBA MVP Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.