Men's Wimbledon Final Preview
By Covers.com
Roger Federer -190 vs. Andy Murray +165
In his eighth Wimbledon final, nobody questions that Roger Federer should be the favorite over Andy Murray.
What is more of a question is by how much.
Federer ranges from -188 to -233 depending on which sportsbook you place your wagers with. That's a sizable difference when you consider the payout is around $100 more on the -188 line for a bettor who risks $1,000 ($429 vs. $531).
Federer is 8-7 against Murray in his career and those who are leaning toward Murray have to like the fact he's been a thorn in Fed's side over the years. At one stretch from 2006 to 2009 when Federer was at the top of his game, Murray won six out of seven meetings, all on hard court.
But those who like the Swiss, will point out the two players have never met on grass and Federer won their only two grand slam meetings - in straight sets in the finals of the 2010 Aussie Open and the finals of the 2008 U.S. Open.
Federer won his only meeting with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on grass in the semifinals Friday with a clinical serving performance and beautiful ground strokes. Federer won 75 percent of first serves in that match and committed just 10 unforced errors in four sets.
Murray looked just as impressive a semifinal four-set victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga that was won in similar fashion to Federer's win. You could even argue Murray's serve has been better than Fed's with 74 aces (compared to 59) and a top speed of 135 mph at Wimbledon this year.
The biggest intangible in this match is probably the pressure. Murray is the first Brit to reach the Wimby final since 1938 and he's never won a grand slam. Federer is 6-1 in Wimbledon finals and is gunning for his 17th grand slam.
Still, even Federer isn't counting out the dog.
"I'm aware that the tournament's not over yet," Federer said after defeating Djokovic. "I didn't break down crying and fall to my knees and think, 'The tournament is over, and I achieved everything I wanted.'"
Advantage: Federer