This article is part of the Tennis Picks series.
The Cincinnati Open continues its first-round action on Wednesday, with several players in good form at the Canadian Performances looking to carry their form into the tougher ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments to follow, while two former top 10 players who fell from their lofty perches due to injury could face early exits against dangerous underdogs, including one local player looking to wow the crowd with an upset.
All tennis odds and lines come from DraftKings Sportsbook, but you may find better odds on some of these matches by checking mobile sportsbooks like FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, or other top sports betting sites. In states where sports betting has launched, some of these sportsbooks offer exclusive sign-up bonuses.
All men's and women's singles matches at the Cincinnati Open will be best-of-three sets. A player's past hard-court performances, recent form and style of play, combined with other factors, will help pinpoint interesting betting opportunities, both with favorites looking to cruise to victory with ease and underdogs poised to pull off an upset. Said underdogs will be highlighted in the Upset Alerts section, while the Lock It In section will feature players who can be considered overwhelming favourites and the Value Bets section will recommend attractive options in matchups that are considered closer to even.
Cincinnati Open Tennis Predictions: Watch out for upsets
Peyton Stearns (+215) vs. Paula Badosa
Stearns had a strong quarterfinal in Toronto, using her strong forehand and injury luck to beat Madison Keys and Victoria Azarenka, before losing 6-4, 7-5 to eventual Canadian Open champion Jessica Pegula. Badosa was on a roll coming into Canada fresh off a Citi Open win, but her momentum quickly faded with a second-round loss at the Canadian Open. Stearns' forehand will be her biggest weapon on the court in this match, and the 22-year-old Cincinnati native will likely draw some support from the home crowd. Meanwhile, Badosa has had a string of unexpected losses during her 22-14 record in 2024. Stearns is ranked just nine spots below Badosa at 46th.
Dayana Yastremska (+235) vs. Karolina Muchova
Muchova is looking to return from a wrist injury that sidelined her from the 2023 U.S. Open until late June this year, but she has yet to recapture the form that helped her reach the top 10 last year. Since her return, Muchova is 6-3, with only one win coming against a top-80 opponent. Yastremska is ranked one place above Muchova at 34th and reached the semifinals at this year's Australian Open. These fast hard courts should favor the hard-hitting Ukrainian players early and late, and when Yastremska is in good form, she has more than enough power to beat Muchova right now.
Honorable Mention
Magdalena Fletch (+160) vs. Marie Bouzkova
Cincinnati Open Tennis Odds: Confirmed
Nuno Borges (-300) vs. Adrian Mannarino
While Borges is playing the best tennis of his career, Mannarino appears to be giving up the last of his strength. The 27-year-old from Portugal is currently boasting a career-high ranking of 39th. Borges won his first career title on clay last month and last week recorded a top 15 win over Hugo Humbert on hard court at the Canadian Open. Mannarino has looked completely out of form in recent months, with the 36-year-old Frenchman going 1-15 in his last 16 matches, with his only win coming on grass against 125th-ranked Stefano Napolitano. Mannarino is still ranked 33rd, but he no longer appears to be able to produce the level of tennis that helped him gain ranking points in the latter half of 2023 and the first few months of 2024.
Taylor Townsend (-215) vs. Caroline Dollhyde
Townsend is coming off a strong showing at the Canadian Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals as a lucky loser. The American, ranked 53rd in the world, then won his two qualifying matches in straight sets to get used to the court conditions in Cincinnati. Both Americans are better at doubles than singles, but Townsend's singles performance last week was better than that of world No. 47 Dolehyde this year. Dolehyde is 13-20 in 2024 and 6-10 in his past 16 matches.
Honorable Mention
Sebastian Korda (-525) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
Cincinnati Open Tennis Predictions: Value Bets
Amanda Anisimova (-110) vs. Victoria Azarenka
In a battle of big baseline strikers, Anisimova has the clear advantage based on her recent performances, despite being ranked 49th, 30 places below Azarenka. Anisimova is fresh off a Canadian Open final where she beat four top-20 players, while Azarenka withdrew from the round of 16 in Toronto after losing a set and a break to Stearns. Even if Azarenka is fully recovered in less than a week, she will have a hard time gaining an advantage in rallies against a player who also likes to get the ball early and is now in good rhythm.
Alexei Popyrin (-140) vs. Gael Monfils
Popyrin is fresh off the best tournament of his life. The 25-year-old Australian won his first Masters 1000 title and the third of his career at the Canadian Open on Monday. Five of his six wins in Montreal came against top-20 players. Popyrin doesn't usually get far enough in the big tournaments that he's used to the quick adjustments required to jump from one venue to another on short notice, but it's certainly a good problem to have. If Popyrin can maintain anything close to his Canadian Open form, the in-form Australian should be able to beat a past-his-prime Monfils, who turns 38 in a few weeks. The Frenchman has lost three straight matches and is 18-17 this season.
Honorable Mention
Matteo Arnaldi (-140) vs. Tomas Martin Echeverri
