The French Open takes place in just a few days time and this second Grand Slam of the year is all set to be a thrilling encounter from Roland Garros in Paris.

This is the only Grand Slam to be played on the clay and Rafael Nadal – the man often called the King of Clay – is sure to be the favourite for this clash.

It is now seven French Opens titles for the Spaniard and he comes here in decent form after notching up wins on this surface already this campaign.

Nadal was out of action for a long time in 2012 and early 2013, but he seems to be fully recovered and is going to be tough for anyone to stop in France, especially if he gets a good start and some momentum going.

Novak Djokovic is always in contention when it comes to the big tournaments and he is looking to go one better than his runner-up place last year.

The Serbian finds it tough on clay at times, but a player of his talent is never to be written off, especially after his experience in 2012 – which is sure to have made him a better player at Roland Garros.

Roger Federer has been the nearly man in this tournament over the years and he has finished as the runner-up to Nadal on four occasions.

The Swiss did manage a victory in 2009, but now he is in his 30’s, he knows there aren’t going to be many more opportunities to win the major titles.

Andy Murray has pulled out with injury, as has Juan Martin Del Potro, so the likes of David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Jo Wilfried-Tsonga might see this as their chance to have a good French Open.

It is sure to be a cracking few days of tennis.

French Open Winner

Rafael Nadal is the odds-on favourite right now and you can back him at 1.67 (4/6) with SkyBet.

Then, Novak Djokovic is being tipped at 3.00 (2/1) with Ladbrokes.

The bookmakers can’t seem to look past these two as Roger Federer is next in the betting at 21.00 (20/1) with BoyleSports.

You can get odds of 41.00 (40/1) with SportingBet on David Ferrer and 71.00 (70/1) on Tomas Berdych.

Recommended Bet

For some value, we think backing Nadal to win the men’s tournament and Maria Sharapova winning the women’s is good value at 10.00 (9/1) with Betfair.

Wayne Rooney looks as though he might be on the way out of Manchester United in the summer window after Sir Alex Ferguson admitted the striker has handed in a transfer request for the second time inside a couple of years.

Something clearly isn’t right with the Englishman at the moment and he doesn’t seem to be enjoying his football at Old Trafford, which is strange as they have won the Premier League title this season.

The arrival of Robin van Persie could have been a big factor in his transfer requested as Rooney might feel as though he is now the second string striker.

He has been left out of big matches on a number of occasions, but that has been down to a number of poor performances.

Despite Rooney being a vital member of the United side, there is no one player bigger than the club and with David Moyes coming in during the summer – a man the striker might not see eye-to-eye with – the former Everton player could be on the way out.

At the moment, Chelsea are being considered as one of the front-runners to sign Rooney and although that might be a bit of a surprise to some, a move to Stamford Bridge could suit him, especially if Jose Mourinho takes charge.

Bayern Munich also look to be in contention to sign Rooney as Pep Guardiola does admire the way the striker plays.

It might be a good move for the England national team if he did head to the Bundesliga and is sure to improve Rooney as a player.

Other clubs being linked with the forward are Paris Saint German, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City.

We shall see just how this story develops over the next few weeks and in truth, you might get the best value on his club after the summer transfer window right now.

Wayne Rooney’s next club

Chelsea can be backed at 3.00 (2/1) with Coral to be Rooney’s next club.

Then you have Bayern Munich at 3.50 (5/2) with StanJames.

PSG can be backed at 6.00 (5/1) with BetVictor and Real Madrid are at 15.00 (14/1) with Paddy Power.

Arsenal, Man City and Monaco are all available between 20/1 and 25/1.

Recommended Bet

We think that Bayern Munich look the best value to be Wayne Rooney’s next club.

Everton Football Club are on the lookout for a new manager following David Moyes’ departure to Manchester United and it will be interesting to see who takes over at Goodison Park.

Moyes was on Merseyside for eleven years and turned Everton into a club that were fighting for European places in the Premier League, which is an extraordinary achievement when you consider the small budget he had to work with.

Now though, Chairman Bill Kenwright and the rest of the board have a big decision to make. They could appoint one of Moyes’ coaching staff, which would be considered as a fairly cheap option, or they might go for a manager already in a job and pay some compensation.

The man many are talking about at the moment is Roberto Martinez and he is being tipped as one of the favourites with the bookmakers.

It has been a mixed season for the Spaniard as he delivered FA Cup success to Wigan Athletic, but was also relegated to the Championship.

Whether he can go from being a manager fighting relegation to a team that want to break into the top four seems to be a big doubt.

Malkay Mackay has been promoted to the top flight with Cardiff City, but he is still one of the front-runners.

However, it might be a move that comes too early in his managerial career.

Other names being mentioned at this stage that are currently in a job are Neil Lennon, Jurgen Klinsmann and Vitor Pereira.

Then, the likes of Alan Stubbs, David Weir and Phillip Neville – who all have connections with the club right now – are involved in the betting in this market.

Everton are likely to appoint fairly soon and it is going to be interesting to see what approach they decide to take.

Next Everton Manager

Roberto Martinez is the favourites at 3.75 (11/4) with StanJames.

Then, Alan Stubbs is being offered at 6.50 (11/2) with SkyBet.

Both Malkay Mackay and Neil Lennon can both be backed at 9.00 (11/1) with Bet365, with Jurgen Klinsmann a 14.00 (13/1) shot with Betfair.

Recommended Bet

For us, Phillip Neville looks to be good value at 13.00 (12/1) with Ladbrokes for this job.

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<img src="http://www.bigfreebet.com/previews/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/cl.jpg" alt="Infographic: Champions League Final 2013 teams – Bayern vs Dortmund head to head"></br><a href="http://www.bigfreebet.com/previews/2013/infographic-champions-league-final-2013-teams-bayern-vs-dortmund-head-to-head.html" >Infographic: Champions League Final 2013 teams – Bayern vs Dortmund head to head</a>

The Champions League final takes place on Saturday evening and we are all set for a thrilling encounter between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

The encounter comes from Wembley Stadium this year and after their stunning performances in the tournament so far, Dortmund and Bayern are sure to entertain us right from the off with their fast, attacking and top-quality football.

Looking at Bayern to begin with, their performance in the semi-final of the Champions League was world class as they beat Barcelona 7-0 over two legs.

To score that amount of goals against any of Europe’s elite teams is a cracking achievement, but against Barca, it has to go down as one of the best performances the tournament has ever seen.

Jupp Heynckes is leaving the club in the summer and he would love to lift the trophy on Saturday afternoon, especially after the heartache of last season’s loss.

If at their best, there is no doubt Bayern can win this one, especially as they finished 25 point clear of Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Borussia Dortmund might not have had the league campaign they wanted, but they have been excellent in the Champions League, especially when you consider they are somewhat novices in this tournament.

Jurgen Klopp has masterminded victories over the likes of Real Madrid and now his side have a chance of lifting the trophy.

They will have to be at their best, but Dortmund managed to draw both matches with Bayern in the Bundesliga, so they know what it takes to get a result against them.

Robert Lewandowski needs to put in a big performance here and show the watching world that he is one of the best strikers around right now.

With an electric atmosphere guaranteed in this one, it should be a scintillating 90 minutes of action that you don’t want to be missing.

Match Odds

Bayern Munich are the current favourites at 1.80 (4/5) with Coral.

A draw is then at 4.00 (3/1) with BWIN and a Dortmund victory can be backed at decent value of 4.80 (19/5) with William Hill.

First Goal-Scorer

Mario Gomes leads the way at 5.50 (9/2) with Ladbrokes.

Robert Lewandowski is at 6.00 (5/1) with StanJames.

Recommended Bet

For us, a slight surprise looks to be a good bet and Dortmund winning 2-1 is being offered at 16.00 (15/1) with BetVictor.

The first Test of the two match series between England and New Zealand gets underway from Lords on Thursday morning.

This is of course the start of a busy year  for the Three Lions as they have back-to-back Ashes series against Australia, so finding some form and the perfect eleven players for those encounters could be the priority in this series.

Alastair Cook is still in the early stages of his role as captain, but he has already done an excellent job and his men can show the Aussies they mean business with a convincing win over the Kiwis.

Cook knows this is going to be far from easy though as England could only manage a draw in New Zealand during the winter and although the weather didn’t help in a couple of matches, they had to fight for a 0-0 draw.

On home soil though, England should show just how good they can be and the skipper will be expecting his top order – including himself – to get some big scores.

Also, the likes of James Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad need to lead the attack well and if England are bowling on the first session on day one at Lords, it is up to them to set the tone for the series.

As for New Zealand, they come to the Home of Cricket in decent shape and might not be dreading this series as much as they would have been before the winter matches against England.

Brendon McCullum is a world class player on his day and although he has the responsibility of captaining the side, he has to perform well with the bat to give the Kiwis a chance of an unlikely win at Lords.

It should be a cracking few days of Test cricket, weather permitting of course.

Match Odds

England are the 1/80 (4/5) favourites with StanJames.

A draw is then at 2.50 (6/4) with Bet365 and a New Zealand win has odds of 12.00 (11/1) with SportingBet.

Top Batsman

Alastair Cook at 4.00 (3/1) with Coral.

Brendon McCullum at 5.50 (9/2) with BetFred.

Recommended Bet

Jonathon Trott for man of the Match at 11.00 (10/1) with Ladbrokes.

The Europa League final comes from Amsterdam on Wednesday evening as Benfica and Chelsea lock horns for the second biggest prize in European club football.

The Europa League hasn’t been taken too seriously by many clubs over the years, but the 2012/13 campaign seems to be a lot different.

That is proven by the fact two teams that were knocked out of the Champions League group stages go head to head in the final. Chelsea and Benfica haven’t been knocked out of Europe’s elite club compeition and then put out a second string side in the Europa League, instead, they have gone all out to win the tournament and that is refreshing to see.

The Portuguese side have been impressive in the tournament so far as they have beaten the likes of Newcastle United, Fenerbahce and Bayer Leverkusen.

Although the tie against latter of the group came in the early knockout round, it might have been the most impressive as Leverkusen sit in third place of the highly-rated Bundesliga.

Oscar Cardozo has been excellent in Europe this campaign and you feel as though he holds the key to Benfica’s chance of winning this competition. They might be the underdogs, but if they get the service right for Cardozo, they could be lifting the trophy.

As for Chelsea, this is of course the chance for them to win two European titles in as many years following their Champions League success last season.

Rafael Benitez’s men have looked like the strongest team in this tournament and if at their best on Wednesday night, they should come out on top.

Players such as Juan Mata and Fernando Torres are sure to play a big part and after a stunning display against Aston Villa, it will be interesting to see if Frank Lampard starts.

A thrilling encounter awaits from 7.45pm.

Match Odds

Chelsea are the favourites for this one right now at 2.40 (29/20) with BetVictor to win inside 90 minutes.

Benfica can be backed at 3.20 (11/5) with Bet365 and the draw – which would mean extra time – is at 3.40 (12/5) with StanJames.

First Goal-Scorer

Fernando Torres leads the way in this market and you can back him at 7.50 (13/2) with BWIN.

Cardozo is then available at 8.00 (7/1) with Paddy Power.

Recommended Bet

For us, this encounter is all about Juan Mata and w think he is good value to score first at 11.00 (10/1) with Betfair.

West Ham United make the journey to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon in what is the early kick-off in the Premier League.

The Citizens lost their Premier League title to Manchester United on Monday night, but need to win this game to build some momentum for the FA Cup final against Wigan Athletic next month, whereas West Ham come here in good spirits as they moved over the 40-point mark over the weekend.

Roberto Mancini’s men haven’t been consistent enough in the Premier League this campaign and now they best they can hope for is a second place finish and an FA Cup win, which would still be a decent season.

They need a couple more wins to guarantee runner-up spot, so Mancini will be looking for all three points here.

Carlos Tevez is likely to be leading the line and as he is going up against the club where he made his name in England, this will be a game that means a lot to him. Tevez is in decent form at the moment though and could come back to haunt his old club.

City are very strong on their own turf and if at their best, they should bounce back from the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend with a win here.

As for West Ham, they have been excellent in their first campaign back in the top flight and now, they can enjoy the closing stages as they are safe.

A top half finish is on the cards though, so they can’t take their foot off the gas and you can be sure that Sam Allardyce will have his men up for this one.

If Andy Carroll continues his fine form, then he is sure to cause the home side a few problems on Saturday afternoon with his strength and aerial ability.

Match Odds

Man City are the big favourites at 1.25 (1/4) with Paddy Power.

A draw is at 5.20 (21/4) with BetVictor, with a West Ham win out at 12.00 (11/1) with StanJames.

First Goal-Scorer

Carlos Tevez is the favourite in this market at 4.50 (7/2) with Coral.

Andy Carroll is good value at 11.00 (10/1) with SkyBet.

Recommended Bet

A 3-0 win for Man City looks a decent bet for this one at 9.00 (8/1) with Betfair.

The Premier League relegation battle is all set to be one of the best battles that the English top flight has seen and looks like it is going to go right to the wire.

With Queens Park Rangers and Reading ten points adrift of safety, they are all but relegated and the bookies aren’t given them a chance of avoiding the drop, but the final relegation place is far from decided.

Wigan Athletic currently sit in 18^th place, three points away from Aston Villa in 18^th, but the former do have a game-in-hand.

The Latics have a tough run-in, but they have the knowhow from this position and have got themselves out of a relegation battle on a number of occasions.

Although Wigan might be the favourites to be the third team to go down this campaign, betting against them is going to be brave.

As for Aston Villa, they have a young squad with plenty of talent, but are lacking players with the experience in this situation.

Paul Lambert faces a massive final four matches and with his side hosting Sunderland next week, they can take a massive step towards survival.

Aston Villa and Wigan lock horns on the final day of the season and it could prove to be a decisive fixture.

Newcastle United, Sunderland and Stoke City all sit on 37 points, six clear of the bottom three, so they are far from out of trouble at the moment.

Norwich City are on 28 points and if they can claim one more victory, then their Premier League status is all but confirmed.

With plenty of action still to come, this looks to be an enthralling battle that could come right down to the game between Villa and Wigan on the final day of the campaign.

Relegation

The bookmakers see this as a battle between Wigan and Villa and the former are the favourites to go down at 1.62 (8/11) with Betfair.

Aston Villa are then being offered at 3.25 (9/4) with BetVictor.

Newcastle are at 23.00 (22/1) with Ladbrokes, with Stoke at 29.00 (28/1) with SportingBet and Norwich and Sunderland having the same odds with SkyBet.

Recommended Bet

We think the only value in this market is for Wigan to stay up at 2.10 (11/10) with Bet365.

Bayern Munich entertain Barcelona on Tuesday evening in the Champions League semi-final first leg between two of the best sides that Europe has to offer right now.

Bayern have already claimed the Bundesliga title, whereas Barca are just a few games away from winning the La Liga crown, so both teams have had excellent campaigns so far.

They each love to play fast-flowing, attacking football and this is all set to be a cracking first leg at the Allianz Arena.

The German side can’t seem to stop scoring goals at the moment as they have found the net 16 times in their last three matches.

In the Champions League, Bayern have impressed and breezed past Juventus in the quarter-final, claiming the tie 4-0 on aggregate.

They have a squad full of confidence right now and with this encounter being on home soil, Jupp Heynckes knows just how important a result is.

Of course, keeping Barcelona out and stopping them grabbing an away goal is also vital.

Tito Vilanova’s men didn’t have it quite so easy in the round of eight as they drew with Paris Saint-Germain twice, but had the away goals rule to thank for their place in the final four.

The La Liga-leaders have only conceded one goal in their last four matches, so they look to be strong at the back coming into this one.

Lionel Messi was left out of the squad last time out as Vilanova did not want to risk him ahead of this clash. Although he might not be 100 per cent fit, the Argentine is sure to start this one as he is vital to their hopes of taking a result back to the Nou Camp.

We are all set for a superb encounter here and it gets underway from 7.45pm.

Match Odds

Bayern Munich are the slight favourites at 2.30 (13/10) with SkyBet.

Barcelona are then at 3.60 (13/5) with BetVictor, with a draw having the same odds with BWIN.

First Goal-Scorer

Messi is the man leading the betting in this market at 5.00 (4/1) with Ladbrokes.

Mario Gomez can then be backed at 7.00 (6/1) with Coral.

Recommended Bet

A 2-2 draw looks to be a good bet for us at the moment and it is being offered at 15.00 (14/1) with William Hill.