WRC Rally Sweden Betting Preview: The Favorites in Snow

Rally Sweden Betting Preview

The 2023 World Rally Championship kicked off in Monaco with 18 stages on tarmac and snow. Eight-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier took the win to start the WRC Races by more than 18 seconds. He won the first stage and maintained that lead throughout the rest of the event.

Now the drivers travel north for the only pure winter rally of the WRC schedule. This Rally Sweden betting preview takes the teams through frozen, remote forests in northeastern Sweden on studded tires. Despite the conditions, it’s often one of the fastest rounds on the calendar.

With that, here’s a primer for betting on WRC Rally Sweden.

Defending Champions With Top Odds

The 2022 WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera leads the way at +120 to win Rally Sweden. Last season, he topped the time sheets in the shakedown stage and took control over the last half of the Rally. He took the overall win by 22 seconds over Belgian Thierry Neuville.

Rovanperä’s win was his first at any level at WRC Rally Sweden. His previous best was third in 2020. He’s one of the top drivers of the 2023 WRC season and is -286 to finish on the podium.

Estonian and 2019 WRC champion Ott Tanak sits behind at +365. Though Rovanperä’ won last year’s Rally Sweden, Tanak won five stages. A hybrid problem meant he wasn’t able to fight for the win. He also won the Otepaa Winter Rally last weekend in his home country ahead of Sweden this week. Tanak won the 2019 Rally Sweden and finished on the podium in 2020 and 2017. He’s at -167 to finish on the podium once again.

Both of these defending champions are well-situated for a top finish. Between the two, it may come down to teams. Tanak is in his first season in a return to M-Sport Ford while Rovanperä’s Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT has won four of the last five Rally Sweden events.

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT’s Elfyn Evans has the third-best odds at +375 for the overall win. He retired from last year’s race on stage 16 after winning three stages. With great pace last year, he’s in a good spot to challenge the two champions. He’s got great WRC odds for the podium as well at -154.

Longer Odds Worth Betting On

Neuville sits fourth at +420. Historically, he’s driven well at Rally Sweden. He won in 2018 and podiumed in 2015, 2019, and 2022. He also finished third in the season opener in Monaco. He’s consistent and that’s reflected in his podium odds as well at -133.

Craig Breen (+1400) has much longer odds compared to the top four. Though he finished far down the order in 2022, he’s historically done well in Sweden. He podiumed in 2018 and has two top-five finishes in pure winter rounds, including fifth in Sweden in 2017 and fourth in 2021 at the Arctic Rally in Finland.

Bottom Line

Rovanperä’s carried his good form from most of 2022 into the 2023 WRC season opener. But Tanak’s history in Sweden, recent form at home, and potentially more mechanical luck this year make him the better choice. A podium of Tanak, Rovanpera, and Evans seems quite likely.

But Breen could excite as a surprise winner and, at +220 for a podium, may play spoiler for that trio at the top. Thank you for taking the time to check out our Rally Sweden betting preview. Be sure to check back in the coming days and weeks for the latest Rally lines and odds.

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