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The top seed at the 2023 French Open is Viktor Axelsen, and he gets his campaign underway against Ng Ka Long Angus on Wednesday. Axelsen (-1600) is favored to defeat Ng Ka Long, and here in our latest free Badminton betting picks, we tell you the best bets to make on the Dane’s return to the court after injury.
- What; 2023 French Open Badminton
- Who; Viktor Axelsen vs. Ng Ka Long
- Where; Glaz Arena, Rennes, France
- Competition Dates; Tuesday, October 24th – Sunday, October 29th
The 2023 French Open comes from the Glaz Arena in Rennes. The competition dates back to 1907. But it was in 2007 when significant change took place, as this was the year the BWF promoted the competition to Super Series status. This put the competition on the map as it was now one of the 12 biggest tournaments on the BWF roster. And with its Super 750 status, the French Open now attracts all the top Badminton players from across the world.
We’re now getting to the business end of the BWF World Tour. The World Tour Finals are only a few weeks away, and this championship carries plenty of ranking points. So having a good run here could be the difference between qualifying or missing the lucrative season-end competition in Hangzhou, China.
Viktor Axelsen is currently in fifth place in the race to qualify for Hangzhou. And with only the top eight players qualifying, he knows a repeat performance of last year’s French Open win will go a long way to securing his place in China at the end of the season.
Viktor Axelsen vs Ng Ka Long Angus Betting
The best Badminton betting sites are saying this match looks like an easy win for Viktor Axelsen. The Dane is the current world number one and also the number one seed to win the competition. On the money line, Axelsen is -1600 to win. Ng Ka Long Angus is +700.
The handicap line sees Long Angus receive a 1.5-set start. This means he has to win one of the three sets for the bet to win. On this market, Long Angus is +240, with Axelsen at -334 to win and cover the spread. For the spread to be covered in this match, Axelsen would have to win 2-0.
In total points betting, the spread is 72.5. Over and under are both at -115. More odds are on our Badminton betting table. For more information about the bookmakers used, please visit our free bets and promotions page.
| Viktor Axelsen vs. Ng Ka Long Angus |  |  |  |
| Viktor Axelsen | -1600 | -1600 | -1600 |
| Ng Ka Long Angus | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Axelsen (-1.5) | -334 | -334 | -334 |
| Long Angus (+1.5) | +240 | +240 | +240 |
| Over 72.5 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Under 72.5 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
Doubts over Axelsen fitness
In the Denmark Open last week Viktor Axelsen started with a comfortable two-set (21-7, 21-9) win over fellow Dane Magnus Johannesen. All seemed well, and Axelsen was set to face Lee Zii Jia in round two when he withdrew with an injury to his left foot.
We wish Viktor Axelsen 🇩🇰 a speedy recovery. 🙏#BWFWorldTour #DenmarkOpen2023 pic.twitter.com/Rv2gl4zdFQ
— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 19, 2023
The withdrawal was more of a precaution, with the season-ending BWF World Tour less than two months away. It would take a lot for Axelsen to pull out of a match in his home event. But the Dane thought about the bigger picture, preferring to be right for the remainder of the season. Rather than risk aggravating the injury further.
Maybe if it had been the final, he may have risked it. Who knows? But Axelsen has had a week to recover ahead of his opening match in France on Wednesday.
Viktor Axelsen’s opponent on Wednesday, Ng Ka Long, has himself had recent injury problems. The Hong Kong number one had to withdraw from his opening-round match in the Denmark Open last week. Trailing the number six seed Shi Yuqi 21-13 3-0, Ng Ka Long retired, with the match awarded to the defending champion.
Quite what was wrong with Long hasn’t been made clear. But whether it was a slight niggle or something more serious, it doesn’t bode well ahead of a showdown with the number one Badminton player in the world.
Viktor Axelsen vs Ng Ka Long Angus Picks
Knowing what we know, it’s too risky to back Viktor Axelsen to win on the money line at odds of -1600. It would be too much of a risk without a recent injury, never mind with one. But as we know, there are also question marks about Ng Ka Long’s fitness. Which may be a contributing factor to Alexsen’s short odds.
We feel this makes a win for Axelsen a certainty. The only question is, does Axelsen win in two or three sets? We feel it will be two, and we are happy to go with under 72.5 points in the spread market and make that our pick for the match.
This covers us for a two-set win for Axelsen if he wins them both by a combination of 12 points. If you prefer to play safe, back Axelsen to win on the handicap. But those odds are far shorter at -334.
See below the best online sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
