Olympic Slopestyle
Money made during the wee hours of the morning is just as green as the cash we collect betting our favorite American sports. Since every sporting event offers opportunity, I called in friend of the program adventure sport expert, Tyler Tate, to find us value in Sochi. Here are his breakdowns of the men’s and women’s slopestyle events.
All prices are courtesy of Bovada
SNOWBOARDING SLOPESTYLE
2014 Winter Olympics (Sochi, Russia) – Snowboarding – Men’s Slopestyle
Mark McMorris 7/2
Maxence Parrot 5/1
Roope Tonteri 9/1
Staale Sandbech 10/1
Billy Morgan 11/1
Sven Thorgen 12/1
Sage Kotsenberg 14/1
Chas Guldemond 14/1
Janne Korpi 14/1
Sebastien Toutant 14/1
Yuuki Kadono 16/1
Peetu Piiroinen 20/1
Gjemund Braaten 25/1
Seppe Smits 25/1
Jamie Nichols 30/1
Ryan Stassel 40/1
Charles Reid 40/1
Analysis
Mark McMorris is the prohibitive favorite in the sport even if snowboarding icon Shaun White reverses course and re-enters the competition. McMorris is coming off an injury in the 2014 Winter X Games where he took a fall to his rib cage in the rail section. Normally good on the rails, McMorris seems to have struggled lately on that same section. With the entrances and exits on the rails in Sochi being steeper and faster, this will be a major factor in the judge’s scores. This number at 7/2 is fair but risky; he is the favorite but but current form says otherwise. He will draw the public money thanks to his sponsorship from Red Bull. Even though he competes for Team Canada, he’s often confused with being a member of Team USA given the strong sponsorship ties. With the influx of money that came to Team Canada during the Vancouver games, the Canadians are strong and well trained to go along with their natural talents.
Given the current set-up for the course, my best bet on the board for the win in Maxence Parrot. He is coming off a title at the X Games and is faster on the rails on and off with quicker rotation to his right a benefit of this goofy footed rider. He has limited top-level competition but in the few competitions he has entered he ended on the podium in most of them.
Best Bet: Maxence Parrot (5-1)
The Safe Bet: Mark McMorris (7-2)
Longshot: Sage Kotsenberg (14-1). I’d only play him at a price of 11-1 or greater.
Darkhorse: If you have a little extra money and want to have a chance for a big payout look at Yuuki Kadono at 16-1. The youngster has huge air tricks, which will serve him well in the jump section and smooth enough style to land the rails.
2014 Winter Olympics (Sochi, Russia) – Snowboarding – Women’s Slopestyle
Jamie Anderson 5/2
Spencer O’Brien 4/1
Sarka Pancochova 5/1
Silje Norendal 5/1
Torah Bright 9/1
Christy Prior 14/1
Cheryl Maas 16/1
Jenna Blasman 16/1
Jenny Jones 16/1
Merike Enne 20/1
Shelly Gotlien 20/1
Sina Candrian 20/1
Elena Koenz 20/1
Kjersti Buaas 30/1
Isabel Derungs 30/1
Karly Shorr 30/1
Ty Walker 30/1
Stefi Luxton 40/1
Anna Gasser 40/1
Aimee Fuller 50/1
Katie Ormerod 50/1
Rebecca Torr 50/1
Analysis
While this field is loaded with names, there are only five that you should even pay attention to in the sport. Up until recently at the X Games in Aspen, Jamie Anderson was unstoppable. Anderson would put herself into first place after her first run and would usually coast to a victory run in the end.
This complacency cost her the gold in the X Games as she decided not to do her second run expecting that the competition wouldn’t top her score and when Silje Norendal did, Anderson wasn’t focused and tumbled on her run.
After the press conference in Aspen, Anderson was very vocal in a private conversation about her determination to get back to the hill and prepare for Sochi. This is a fire I hadn’t seen in her eyes for years and why she should be the favorite in Sochi.
The course set up favors Anderson, as she is the best on the rails and on jumps. The speed of the rails will eliminate most of her competition, and all she will have to do is put down a consistent run, which will be enough for her to win the gold.
If Anderson fails however, Norendal will be there to scoop up the gold. She is currently at the peak of her riding career and will push any other rider including Anderson to bring out their best tricks. With a riding style that brings together a combination of progressive tricks on the rails and smooth style in the air, Norendal managed to get on some of the biggest podiums of the snowboarding world. In the 2010/2011 season she took third at the Burton US Open and second at the European Winter X Games. Last season she won her first X Games gold in Tignes, earning her the third place in the 2012/2013 Women’s Slopestyle World Tour Ranking and backed it up with her win last month at X Games Aspen.
Spencer O’Brien is the outside bet to take the win. Since switching from halfpipe to slopestyle, O’Brien has enjoyed a great deal of international success. She won bronze at the 2008 Winter X Games in Aspen and added silver in 2009. In 2012 she claimed silver at the Winter X Games Europe followed by a bronze in Aspen in 2013. Also in 2013 she competed at her first FIS World Championships where she captured the gold medal.
O’Brien has competed primarily on the World Snowboard Tour, the world’s largest series of freestyle snowboarding events, which is separate from FIS, the governing body for snowboard at the Olympic Games. In 2012 she won the world championship run by the World Snowboard Tour. She ended the 2012-13 season ranked second in the World Snowboard Tour’s slopestyle standings. O’Brien is confident on the rails and her big frontside 540 is full of style and she has the tricks and veteran experience to win.
Sarka Pancochova and Torah Bright are the dark horses to win. If the three ladies listed above have the worst nights of riding in their lives, these two are the only others that could win. Aside from these five ladies listed, the other female riders best would not even score high enough to over take a practice run from these five ladies.
Best Bet: Jamie Anderson (5-2) – I would wait to see if the numbers move from public money and fade the bet with Silje Norendal if the price became prohibitive
Safest Bet: Jamie Anderson (5-2)
Value Bet: Spencer O’Brien (4-1)
Dark Horse: Torah Bright (9-1) – veteran experience on the biggest stage may land her back on top.
