The 2023 French Open Badminton is underway in Rennes, the second Super 750 competition in two weeks. The headline match from the opening round sees Weng Hongyang (-150) taking on Lee Zii Jia (+110). In our latest Badminton betting picks, we look ahead to the match and tell you the best value bets to make.
- What; 2023 French Open Badminton
- Who; Weng Hongyang vs. Lee Zii Jia
- Where; Glaz Arena, Rennes, France
- Competition Dates; Tuesday, October 24th - Sunday, October 29th
In one form or another, the French Open dates back to 1907. It didn’t always carry huge significance. But in 2007, it was promoted to be one of the BWF Super Series, making it one of the top 12 events on the BWF roster. Like the Denmark Open last week, the French Open is also a Super 750 competition, meaning only Super 1000 BWF competitions carry more weight.
Last weekend, unseeded Weng Hongyang won the Denmark Open in Odense. He defeated Lee Zii Jia 21-12, 21-6 in the final to add the Danish title to the Australian (Super 500) he won earlier this season. Hongyang is in action again here in France, and by sheer coincidence, is taking on Lee Zii Jia again in the opening round on Wednesday.
Weng Hongyang vs. Lee Zii Jia Betting Odds
The Badminton betting odds are saying this match looks set to be close. Weng Hongyang is favored at -150 to win on the money line. Lee Zii Jia is the outsider at +110. In a two-horse race, those are close odds.
The handicap line sees Lee Zii Jia 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, Lee is favored to win at -250, with Weng Hongyang at +175 to win and cover the spread. For the spread to be covered in this match, Hongyang would have to win 2-0.
In total points betting, the spread is set at 81.5. Over and under are both at -115. More betting is available on our Badminton odds table. The odds we have used are from the best online sports betting sites, ensuring the best value for money when you place your wagers.
| Weng Hongyang vs. Lee Zii Jia |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weng Hongyang | -150 | -150 | -150 |
| Lee Zii Jia | +110 | +110 | +110 |
| Weng Hongyang (-1.5) | +175 | +175 | +175 |
| Lee Zii Jia(+1.5) | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| Over 81.5 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Under 81.5 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
Form Guide
The good thing about this matchup is we have a recent head-to-head to go by, as well as plenty of form in general, as both men reached the final of the Denmark Open. The final was a one-sided affair with Weng Hongyang winning in just two sets. The sets were not even close, with Hongyang taking the first 21-12 and the second 21-6.
In their respective semi-finals, both men needed only two sets. Hongyang defeated the number six seed Shi Yuqi 21-19 21-14 in a hard-fought contest. This was a good win for Hongyang over the defending champion and is proof that a two-set match isn’t always an easy win.
On route to the semi-final, Hongyang defeated Anthony Ginting 21-15 21-9 in the last eight. He also beat Toma Popov 21-16 25-23 in the second round and Srikanth Kidambi 19-21 21-10 21-16 in the first round. The Round 1 win over Kidambi was the only time he was taken to three sets in the competition.
Lee Zii Jai’s route to the final followed a similar theme. In the semi-final, Lee defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-15 21-17. In his quarter-final encounter, Lee was involved in a tight tussle with Kenta Nishimoto, coming through 21-18 21-18. This came after he received a walkover in his match against Viktor Axelsen in Round 2, and like Hongyang, Lee was only involved in one three-setter, and that was against Belgian prodigy Julien Carraggi in Round 1, which he won 19-21 21-15 21-10.
Our Hongyang Weng vs. Lee Zii Jia Picks
Put shortly, both men seem in good form. Hongyang holds the upper hand with his two-set win in the Denmark Open final. But after his run to the final in Odense, Lee Zii Jia must feel like he didn’t do himself justice last Sunday when he lost in the Denmark final.
So will it be more of the same, or will Lee get his revenge? We think that it will be much closer this time. The total points in their recent final was 60. We feel that will be topped in this match, and for our main betting pick we are going with over 81.5 points.
For a match winner, it is hard to call. We do feel it could go to three sets, so we don’t see any value in backing either man to win on the handicap. If it does go the distance, we feel that Hongyang may hold the mental edge after last Sunday. So we are prepared to back Hongyang Weng to win on the money line for our second pick.
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