Olympics Day 5: Field Hockey, Swimming Odds

With Michael Phelps set to dominate again on day five (Wednesday) Olympic swimming finals, it's the women's races that are sure to attract more interest from punters.

Swimming odds
The women's 200m freestyle final is shaping up as a contest between three swimmers. Italian Federica Pellegrini will be hoping to give Italy its fourth gold medal of these Olympic games. She is 5/6 favorite at Ladbrokes, ahead of Slovenian Sara Isakovic, 15/8. American Katie Hoff, who will be hoping to better the one bronze and one silver she's already won at the Games, is 4/1.

Australian Stephanie Rice is an evens favorite to win the 200m individual medley, and add to the gold she has already won in the 400m individual medley.

Michael Phelps will be hoping to make it gold medals four and five when he competes in the men's 200m butterfly final and the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. Phelps and the Americans are unbackable favorites in both races, with the best choices for punters lying in the "Betting without USA" and "Betting without Phelps" categories, which could be found at VC Bet and other sports betting sites.

As usual, the focus continues to be on whether Phelps will win eight gold medals. With the American swimmer fast closing in on that target, he is now 4/9 to achieve the aim, and 13/8 to fall short.

Field hockey
Field hockey has been played at the Olympics since the 1908 London Games. Like cricket and rugby, the game is British in origin, and as such the winners have traditionally come from within the Commonwealth - nations such as the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan and Australia in particular. More recently though, the game has taken off in other parts of the world, particularly Europe, where Germany and Holland prove strong competition.

Germany has started the men's tournament strongly this year and is the team to beat, listed 11/4 favorite at Ladbrokes. Defending gold medalists Australia are 3/1, followed by Holland, 7/2. 

Traditional giants of the women's game Holland and Argentina lead the field in the betting at Betfair (many bookmakers aren't yet offering online odds on the women's winner), although China could prove to be the surprise of the games, listed on the fifth line of betting.