The main attraction in the world of tennis this week is undoubtedly the Paris Olympics. Some of the top players in the world, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, are competing for gold medals at Roland Garros. I’m going to be providing daily tennis best bets for the Olympic Games throughout the course of the week. However, I’m not going to ignore the Mubadala Citi DC Open. It’s a 500-level event for both the men and the women, and it’s usually the tournament that feels like the unofficial start of the “US Open Series.” Of course, with so many top players competing in the Olympics, the fields in Washington D.C. are a little watered down. But some big names decided to stay back and play, and it’s still an event that deserves some write-ups. That said, keep reading for my Paris Olympics and Mubadala City DC Open best bets, predictions and picks.
I’m going to quickly hit on some of my favorites below, but I usually have more tennis picks on the Pro Picks page. I also occasionally add some plays throughout the day, as I like to see how odds are moving. That said, keep checking that page every couple of hours if you want more of my picks. That’s usually where I put my Challenger-level plays.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts are betting!
2024 Record: 563-554 (+44.30 units)
Paris Olympics Tennis Predictions and Best Bets
Angelique Kerber vs. Jacqueline Cristian
Kerber comes into this match with a bit of momentum, as the 36-year-old was able to knock out Naomi Osaka in the opening round. The three-time major champion, who is playing in her final tournament, will now look to prolong her career a bit longer. The problem is that Osaka really isn’t much of a clay-court player. So, Kerber was able to win that match by finding the court and relying on her superior rally tolerance. That likely won’t work against Cristian, who is 11-6 on clay over the last 52 weeks and is in the prime of her career.
Cristian is an absolute grinder out there. She covers the court at a very high level and she is really good at extracting errors out of her opponent’s racquet. But Cristian is also capable of flipping the script and going on the offensive when she’s feeling it. And this just feels like a match in which she should be ready to go. Kerber wants to try and grind down her opponents, but Cristian is probably better suited to do that at this point in both of their careers.
The one thing that does worry me here is that the crowd will be pulling for Kerber in her final tournament. But Cristian looked relatively unbothered in her match against Caroline Garcia, who had the full support of the French crowd. So, I trust her to handle her nerves here.
Bet: Cristian ML (-111 – 1.5 units)
RELATED: Click here for a Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic betting preview!
Washington DC (Mubadala Citi DC Open) Tennis Predictions and Best Bets
Borna Coric vs. Emil Ruusuvuori
Ruusuvuori had a solid showing at Wimbledon. He earned a five-set win over Mackenzie McDonald in the first round and followed it up with a four-set upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, Ruusuvuori wasn’t playing the best tennis in the world before that. And while he is insanely talented, I like the idea of grabbing the plus-money odds with Coric here. Coric is in the midst of an atrocious season, and his up-and-down play can be extremely frustrating. But we have seen the Croatian find his best stuff in the summer hard-court season, as he won a Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati just two years ago. Coric has a lot of work to do in order to find that level again, but it’s not like he’s old or injured. That ability is somewhere in him and getting back to this surface should bring him some confidence.
Realistically, even with Coric playing some miserable tennis this season, not much separates these two players in both hold percentage and break percentage. And I give a slight baseline edge to Coric, who is a solid all-around player and understands point construction. With that in mind, I view this as closer to a 50-50 match than the odds suggest.
Bet: Coric ML (+125)
Added Plays
I usually have A LOT MORE on the Pro Picks page. These plays count towards my record and have been a big part of my success this season. Make sure you check them out. I’ll probably add a few more over there, so refresh that page throughout the day if you’re looking for action.
