Olympic Rowing Odds & Picks – Men’s and Women’s Single Sculls Finals

• The Men’s and Women’s Single Sculls finals run Thursday, July 29th (in North America)
• Norway’s Kjetil Borch and Kiwi Emma Twigg are favored to win gold
• Odds and analysis along with the best bet is here

Just six competitors remain from both the Men’s and Women’s Single Sculls competition in their pursuit to win Olympic Rowing Gold. Norway’s Kjetil Borch, who began the Olympics with the third shortest odds to win it all is now favored to finish in top spot on the men’s side. For the women, New Zealand’s Emma Twigg, who also had two contemporaries favored over her to take top spot on the podium, is now the one to beat in the eyes of oddsmakers.

It’s shaping up to be a heated battle, with three men seen as having top notch chances to take home the ultimate prize, including Greek Stefanos Ntouskos. He began with long +2500 odds that have now shrunk all the way down to +250. Hanna Prakatsen from ROC, who was the pre-event favorite joins Twigg as head and shoulders above their competition as the other four are still considered significant underdogs.

There are no Americans that will be competing for gold in either of these heats. The women’s final will be contested at approximately 8:30 pm EST Thursday night while the men will follow suit at 8:45 pm EST. Read on to see the odds and best bets for both finals here.

Olympic Men’s Single Sculls Odds

All odds as of July 29th at DraftKings

Three Men Tightly Bunched

The top three trio of Kjetil Borch, Sverri Sandberg Nielsen and Stefanos Ntouskos have nearly the exact same odds heading into the final leg. Ntouskos has been a revelation, as he began the week without much of a realistic chance to win gold at +2500. That is now at +250, just slightly higher that of his top two contemporaries.

He qualified by finishing first in his semi-final category, defeating the likes of Nielsen of Denmark, who finished second and Alexander Vyazovkin, who was third.

Ok, I've got 10 minutes. NOR's Kjetil Borch rocketing off, he's got Stefanos Ntouskos (GRE) in his QF, the Greek having looked feisty and dangerous at times during the European season, but not always consistent. They're holding at the front of the field, neither giving way

— The Rowing Voice (@RowingVoice) July 25, 2021

What the surprising Greek may have lacked in consistency throughout the season, he’s made up for heading into the final. The 24-year old was second at the first 500 meters but after that he dominated, leaving everyone behind. Though the hasn’t won an Olympic medal, he’s no stranger to gold, having taken top spot in the double sculls in the 2018 Mediterranean Games.

The fact he was such a long shot compared to the top two rowers a week ago, but is now nearly at the same odds as the other two shows just how far he’s come at the Olympics. The ever so slightly longer odds are enticing.

Pick: Stefanos Ntouskos (+250)

Olympic Women’s Single Sculls Odds

Two Horse Race in the Finals

With apologies to the other four rowers, who are obviously capable of winning gold as they’re in the final, this should come down to the duo of Hanna Prakatsen and Emma Twigg. Their odds reflect that with the everyone else sporting +1000 odds or longer to earn top spot on the podium.

New Zealand’s Twigg will be battling with extra motivation, as she’s painstakingly finished fourth in both the Rio and London games. She put on a brilliant show in her semi-final, crossing the finish line a whopping 4.42 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

The first medal final of the day will be the women's single scull. It's a stacked field and wide open!

A fourth Olympics for New Zealand's Emma Twigg, could it finally be her year?

⏰09:33 JST, 30 July#olympicrowing #rowing #worldrowing #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/HrvlcFqcnb

— World Rowing (@WorldRowing) July 29, 2021

She took a two year break from the sport after the Olympics in Brazil, and the time off has looked nicely on her, as she has a chance to right the wrongs of the past to earn that elusive medal. Twigg took the lead after 700m and from there left everyone else in the dust.

Though her nearest challenger Prakatsen is hot on her heels, it’s very rare for a competitor to enter the single sculls field and win it all right away. Take the wily experience of Twigg over the inexperience.

Pick: Emma Twigg (+110)