Things are shaking up in the World Surf League (WSL) World Championship Tour (WCT) this year. Two the world’s currently most talented World Champion surfers – John John Florence and Gabriel Medina – are barely in the Top 10 amd in danger of not making the Top 5 trip to Lower Trestles in September. Meanwhile, 2022 Top 5 surfer Kanoa Igarashi along with Kelly Slater are sitting below the WCT midyear cut-line with only a pair of events left before the chopping block becomes a mess of beheaded pros. What will the trip to Victoria Australia bring? Will 2023 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach odds and predictions favor a return to normalcy or will the shakeup continue? Read below before making your wagers and fantasy picks.
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Betting Preview for the WSL WCT Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Surfing Competition Running from April 4-14 2023
Where: Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
When: Waiting period runs from April 4-14, 2023
Betting Lines: View WSL betting odds
Streaming Broadcast: WSL website / WSL YouTube
Online Commentary: BeachGrit
Surfing Podcast for Post-Event Recap: SurfSplendor
FAVORITES
John John Florence: 4/6 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.10
John John’s current No.10 position on the WCT gives bettors pause on whether or not to lay cash on the blonde-locked Hawaiian to take the Rip Curl Bells Beach Pro. If he doesn’t crack the quarterfinals and adjacent surfers move up the ranks, JJF may not make the flight to San Clemente come September. Does anyone really see this happening to an injury-free Florence? While Bells isn’t throaty or consequential enough to fit JJF’s forte, the right-hand reef break accommodates this regular footer’s surfing so much so that he won the event back in 2019. Last year, John John received a 5th. Look for JJF to climb the charts with a strong performance at Bells.
Filipe Toledo: 4/6 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.3
Sorry Joao Chianca (World No.2) but WCT No.3 Filipe Toledo is likely to swap spots with you (and then some) as the head Brazilian in charge after the bell has rung at Bells Beach mid-April. The current World Champion won the event in 2022, came in 2nd in 2019, and boasts three quarterfinals appearances here in other years prior. Filipe is hungry to repeat with back-to-back wins at Bells along with back-to-back World Titles that may come with a serious ratings boost to coincide with a Rip Curl Pro victory in Victoria Australia.
Italo Ferreira: 5/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.13
We’d be happy to witness the fall of 2019 World Champion Italo Ferreira who has morphed into a douchebag caricature of his former self. He currently sits in the unlucky 13 spot on the WCT despite contending for the World Title last season. However, this bedazzled Brazilian does well at Bells. He won the event in 2018, came in 3rd in 2016, and claimed a 5th in 2019 and 2022. No matter how you look at it, this flippant freak of nature is a favorite.
SLEEPERS
Griffin Colapinto: 12/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.5
Colapinto has some extra pep in his step as he sits not-so-comfortably in the No.5 spot on the 2023 WCT. He’s coming into the Bells contest riding momentum of a 5th place finish in Portugal and a 2nd place finish at the Sunset Beach event prior. How has the regular-footer performed at the right handed reef break in the past? His best result at Bells was a 13th back in 2018, which lands the likable San Clemente surfer in a comfortable sleeper position.
Ethan Ewing: 15/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.6
Australian Ethan Ewing is a powerful surfer with loads of potential, and is a serious contender to make the Top 5 once again at year’s end. But to make his campaign to do so known, he needs to make a statement at Bells. Does the regular-footed surfer have what it takes to win at this particular wave? Absolutely. He came in 3rd at Bells in 2022. If blessed with a SW/SSW swell direction and shoulder high to overhead conditions Ewing can win this thing.
LONG SHOT
Ryan Callinan: 20/1 Odds
WCT Ranking: No.13
We’ve got two Americans and two Brazilians on this breakdown of Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach odds and predictions, so we’re balancing it out with two Aussies. We’ve already named Ethan Ewing as a sleeper, so let’s slot World No.13 Ryan Callinan (also Australian) in as the long shot. And yes, the goofy-footer is deserving. While he only has four heat wins and an average heat score of 10.60 under this belt thus far this season, the 30-year old has proven his worth in Victoria Australia. He came in 3rd at Bells in 2019 after losing to an in-form Filipe Toledo.
2023 WSL RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH MEN’S WINNER PREDICTION
John John Florence takes his second win at Bells Beach after winning the event in 2019. JJF ringing the bell will sound the alarm that he means business as a favorite for the 2023 WCT title.
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