The 2022 Oi Rio Pro is coming off of the heels of yet another lackluster WSL World Championship Tour (WCT) event – the Surf City El Salvador Pro. Despite grey water, gloomy skies, and mediocre waves, it was cool to see a deserving Griffin Colapinto win his second WCT event, both of which have come during the 2022 season.
It has certainly been a weird year as we arrive at the eighth stop on Tour, namely for the fact that “Team Brazil” has only claimed one event, courtesy of Felipe Toledo. Speaking of Toledo, he was our pick to win El Salvador. While he didn’t raise the trophy, he did make the finals, which extends our record for picking finalists better than any other oddsmaker this season (including those poachers at MTS). So who will stand atop of the podium for the up and coming Oi Rio Pro? Odds favor a Brazilian more than any another. They have the home-court advantage and excel in Saquarema’s terrible summer season waves. And lets not forget that judges are swayed by crowd opinion on the sands of Rio more than anywhere else on the globe. Is a Brazilian win a foregone conclusion? If so, which one will win? Does anyone else have a shot? The answers to your questions are found below in our Oi Rio Pro odds and predictions. Let’s review.
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Betting Preview for the WSL WCT Oi Rio Pro Men’s Surfing Competition Running from June 23 to 30 2022
Where: Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: Waiting period runs from June 23-30, 2022
Betting Lines: View WSL betting odds
Streaming Broadcast: WSL website / WSL YouTube
Sponsor: Presented by Corona
Online Commentary: BeachGrit
FAVORITES
Filipe Toledo: EVEN Odds
WCT Ranking: No.1
After a slow start to the 2022 season, Toledo is running away with the No.1 spot on the Tour as we get closer to the WCT Finals in September. He boasts a win (Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach) and a pair of 2nd place finishes so far, and all signs point to another victory in Saquarema to conclude the month of June. He has won a record-breaking total of three Oi Rio Pro events, including the most recent two (2019 and 2018) and another back in 2015. How can anyone bet against the World No.1 to win again here in 2022? You can’t, which is why he has the first EVEN odds to win any event on the WSL WCT schedule this annum.
Gabriel Medina: 4/6 Odds
WCT Ranking: 23
The three-time World Champion returned after a mental health hiatus for the first half of the season to claim two 3rd place results in a row. For anyone else, that in itself would be a victory. For Gabriel Medina, it’s unacceptable. Coincidentally Medina’s best result in Saquarema is also a 3rd. How should bettors dissect this information heading into the Oi Rio Pro? Medina is Medina – the most fiercely competitive surfer to ever compete on the WCT. He is motivated more than anyone to win one on home turf, especially since it’s his final shot at the Top 5 to make the 2022 WCT Finals in September.
Italo Ferriera: 5/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.4
We told you that a Brazilian win is essentially an inevitable conclusion for the Oi Rio Pro. Therefore it’s no surprise to round out the favorites with Italo Ferriera. While Ferriera has underperformed thus far this season, his pair of 3rd place finishes has kept him in the Top 5. Like with Medina, Ferriera’s best result at the Oi Rio Pro is a 3rd, which he attained back in 2015. He hasn’t had a solid result in Rio since, but he is still a compact powerhouse that can rip and punt the crap out of the slop being pumped into Saquarema every June.
SLEEPERS
Caio Ibelli: 10/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.11
Forget the 11.12 average heat score, it has been a very successful season for Brazilian Caio Ibelli. After falling off of the Tour over a year ago, the regular-footer jumped back on to fill Gabriel Medina’s vacant slot at the start of the season, and took full advantage. He began the year with two 3rd place finishes in waves of consequence (Pipeline and Sunset Beach) and is coming off a 9th at the last event in El Salvador. His best result at Saquarema is also a 9th, but he is more stoked than any surfer to be on Tour this season. That fact translates to a stress-free performance which may equate a sleeper win. Hedge your wagers accordingly.
Miguel Pupo: 15/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.10
Despite having an average heat score of just 10.58 for 2022, Miguel Pupo has a couple of memorable heats this season. That, and a 3rd place finish at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, has kept him in the Top 10. Pupo’s best result at the Oi Rio Pro is a 5th place finish which came in 2016.
LONG SHOT
Baron Mamiya: 20/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.9
We were going to give Miguel Pupo’s younger brother Samuel (No.17) the long shot slot, but we’re opting for Hawaii’s Baron Mamiya instead. Is this just a “diversity hire” given that the rest of our Oi Rio Pro odds and predictions list Brazilians? Not at all. Mamiya is a deserving pick. He entered the season as a wildcard and impressed the panel with a 9th place finish at the Billabong Pro Pipeline which ushered him into the Sunset Beach event. He then surprised everyone and himself by winning the damn thing to solidify his spot on Tour for 2022 and 2023. We strongly feel that the rookie has one more surprise up his rash-guard sleeve this year, which could be to upset the entire field at the 2022 Oi Rio Pro.
2022 WSL SURF CITY EL SALVADOR PRO MEN’S WINNER PREDICTION
Let’s be honest – no one can stop Filipe Toledo‘s momentum at the moment, especially at the event he has won three times. The Brazilian wins another Oi Rio Pro and secures his No.1 position on the Top 5 for the WSL Finals.
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