Tell us about Roger Federer's position in the market, how that compares to a year ago, and what obstacles he must overcome to defend...
Chris Kennedy: What a difference a year makes! Federer is set to go off the overwhelming 15/8 favourite, with fitness and form doubts surrounding his main rivals, and a solid warm-up from the Swiss maestro in the Hopman Cup.
By comparison, he went off a 20/1 shot in 2017 and shocked everyone with his dramatic win, overcome Rafael Nadal in a brilliant final. To repeat the feat, he must deal with a tricky draw and hope to reproduce his scintillating backhand form of 12 months ago.
The draw could put Novak Djokovic in Federer's path at the semi-final stage - are punters trusting him to bounce back to form and secure his seventh title?
CK: There has been little interest in Djokovic despite his tempting odds of 6/1. Punters may be waiting to see how he looks in his first-round match before stepping in and that's probably sensible.
Unlike previous years, it's no certainty that we'll see these two dominant forces square off in the latter stages and Djokovic in particular has something to prove before we think that far ahead.
On the other side of the draw, should we expect Rafael Nadal v Grigor Dimitrov?
CK: They are the rightful favourites to meet in the semi-finals but Nadal has plenty of doubts concerning his fitness and Dimitrov has to come through a competitive draw to reach the last four. I think it’s unlikely we will see them squaring up this year.
Which of the #NexGen players can go furthest and what are the prospects of a breakthrough win?
CK: It looks too early for any of them to challenge for the title but a few are in solid form and capable of a run to the second week.
Daniil Medvedev (400/1) has enjoyed a tremendous run in Sydney, reaching the final this week having only made it into the draw as a qualifier, whilst Stefanos Tsipitas (600/1) also impressed in Doha and is definitely one to keep an eye on in the future.
Is Alex De Minaur ready for a deep Grand Slam run, and what of the other home players?
CK: De Minaur has really impressed in the past couple of weeks, notching up fine wins over established ATP stars such as Milos Raonic, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco and Benoit Paire.
His draw could definitely have been a lot kinder and he is a 2/1 chance to beat Tomas Berdych in the first round. It would be no great surprise to see him pull off another upset but one thing for sure is that his future looks very bright.
Of the other Aussies, Nick Kyrgios looks in great shape after his title win in Brisbane. How he goes is anyone’s guess, but it would be no huge shock if he finally went close to landing his maiden Grand Slam.
Switching to the women's section, is Maria Sharapova ready for what looks a tricky draw?
CK: Sharapova warmed up last week with a solid tournament in China but she has indeed been handed a tricky draw, and a face-off with an in-form Angelique Kerber in round three is far from ideal.
I think this Slam is still a bit too early in her comeback for Sharapova to claim the title but she is the ultimate competitor and cannot be ruled out.
What do you make of Johanna Konta's form and fitness, and her prospects of going all the way?
CK: Konta has had an interrupted preparation with some injury niggles and she’s also in the hardest section of the draw.
However, she loves the warm conditions in Australia, having reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals in the past two years, and if her body holds out, she is more than capable of a deep run once more.
Venus Williams faces back-to-form Belinda Bencic - how do you see this going and can the winner sustain a title bid?
CK: This looks the tie of the opening round and the winner will fancy their chances of a strong run.
I’d side with the experience and heavier shot of Williams to get through a tough encounter.
In a wide open women's draw, where is the best each-way value?
CK: The bottom half of the draw looks the weaker side and we’ll focus our attention here.
Julia Goerges has won her last three tournaments and is one of the form players of the WTA Tour. She’s always had a huge game but finally appears to be playing with much greater consistency and belief.
At 18/1, she looks worthy of a punt.
We’ll also throw a dart at the unpredictable Coco Vandeweghe (25/1). She’s another player with plenty of weapons, and on her day, can cause anyone problems.
Finally, give us a bet for the first round to get off to a winning start...
CK: We'll side with the grinding experience of David Ferrer, who showed good form in Auckland, to get past the improving Andrey Rublev. The Spaniard is just a shade of odds-on and rates a solid bet.
