Acropolis Rally Preview: Can anyone catch Kalle Rovanperä in Greece?

The defending champion's DNF on home soil opens up opportunity in the standings

After the World Rally Championship (WRC) wrapped up in Estonia, defending champion Kalle Rovanperä opened up a massive lead in the WRC standings. With his home race in Finland on the calendar, he was starting to look beyond reach. But a DNF in Rally Finland left the door open for multiple drivers to catch up. Elfyn Evans scored his second event win of the season to bring the gap to just 25 points. This weekend, the stretch of gravel events continues in Greece as we evaluate the WRC EKO Acropolis Rally Greece Odds.

The extensive flooding in central Greece delayed the event’s start and put the entire world rally championship event in doubt. But as of Friday, the WRC grid is pressing on with the race. Here’s our Acropolis Rally Preview.

Rev up your excitement! Explore the latest WRC EKO Acropolis Rally Greece odds at Point Spreads. Visit now!

Ogier returns to lead a close group of favorites

Eight-time WRC champion rally racer Sébastien Ogier last competed in the Safari Rally Kenya, where he won his 58th WRC event. Competing part-time, he was still the only driver with multiple event wins in 2023. His victory in Monte-Carlo, Mexico, and Kenya made him a threat for his ninth WRC championship.

Ogier is +200 for a win this weekend. He won this event once before, in 2011, and a win here would jump him up higher from fifth in the standings.

Rovanperä (+300) has also won the event before in 2021. Given his disappointment in Finland, he’ll look for a bounce-back performance here. He’ll unfortunately be starting first due to championship order without a shakedown day. That could prove costly in a rally with very mixed conditions due to the flooding in the region.

Theirry Neuville (+333) rounds out the trio of favorites. He won this event last season, one of his two wins in 2022, by 15 seconds over teammate Ott Tänak. Last year as a whole was an excellent showing by the Hyundai rally cars, with Neuville in first, Tänak in second, and Dani Sordo third. He’s strung together three podiums in four WRC races, with a win in Italy and second place in Estonia and Finland. Another gravel event and starting third in the order could be what he needs to get a second win and close the gap to Rovanperä at the top.

Longer odds with an opportunity in Greece

Tänak and Elfyn Evans are tied at +600 for victory. The two have had very different runs of form lately.

Tänak retired from Rally Finland on stage three due to engine problems. Before that, he’d finished eighth (Estonia), sixth (Kenya), 35th (Italy), and fourth (Portugal). Since his podium in Croatia, the 2019 champion has seen a significant drop in pace. He dropped out of the event after mechanical issues on Friday.

Evans, by contrast, is fresh off his second win of the 2023 WRC season with a victory in Finland by 39 seconds over Neuville. That’s after fourth in Estonia, third in Kenya, and fourth in Italy. He’s in great form and starting second this weekend for stages. He could be a surprise victor and the second three-event winner of the 2023 WRC season.

Esapekka Lappi (+850), like Tänak and Rovanperä, had a disappointing Rally Finland event and retired after an accident during stage five. That retirement cut short a strong run of results for the Finnish driver. Podiums in four previous five events before Finland had him closer to the top four drivers than the rest of the WRC field.

Predictions for the Acropolis Rally

The Acropolis Rally is going on this weekend despite severe weather issues in the region. With the varied conditions, it’s easy to back Ogier for the win, considering his experience compared to the rest of the field. He’s seen a bit of everything and will likely be able to make it through cleanly, especially given his starting position.

Besides Ogier, Neuville and Evans look like good choices for a bigger payout. Neuville’s shown he can win in Greece, and Evans is on a good run over the last few events. Their odds may be longer, but look for them to contend with Ogier for the win.

For WRC betting news, WRC odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.


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