Tennis best bets for the US Open – Thursday, August 31st
The US Open is the final major of the year and it’s arguably the most exciting of the four Grand Slams. There’s just something special about this tournament being played in Flushing Meadows, New York, where the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center serves as one of the greatest venues in the sport. The drama of the night matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium can’t be replicated anywhere else. And there’s a lot of buzz heading into this year’s tournament, with young stars Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek looking to defend their titles. Plus, the return of Novak Djokovic should be thrilling to watch. With that out of the way, I’m hoping to continue dishing out winners over the next two weeks, so make sure you keep reading for my tennis best bets for Thursday, August 31st.
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Andy Murray vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov just played a very tough five-set match against Alex Molcan, which was interesting for a few reasons. First, it was impressive to see Dimitrov claw his way back after falling behind by two sets for the first time in his career. Second, it was a little alarming that he struggled with a player as lousy as Molcan to begin with. And finally, Dimitrov needed nearly five hours to get through to the second round. That means he’ll likely be a little fatigued in this match, which isn’t what you want against Murray.
Murray might have a metal hip and he’s no youngster anymore, but he still plays some of the best defense in the world. He’s going to make Dimitrov work really hard for this and I’m just not sure the Bulgarian has enough left in the tank to get the job done here. Murray also happens to have an 8-3 career record against Dimitrov, and he’s also the better server between the two.
It only helps that this one will be played earlier in the day, as it means less time for Dimitrov to recover. And the crowd in New York should be in Murray’s corner. When you combine all of that, it’s hard not to love Murray as a plus-money play.
Bet: Murray ML (+105 – 2 units)
Stan Wawrinka vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
This is another match in which fatigue could play a big role in the outcome. Etcheverry went to war with Otto Virtanen in the first round, winning a grueling five-set match in four hours and 29 minutes. Both players were running on empty by the time a fifth-set tiebreaker came around, and I’m not sure Etcheverry will be fully recovered on Thursday. On top of that, Etcheverry isn’t a player that is good on outdoor hard courts to begin with. That makes it hard not to be bullish on Wawrinka.
I don’t normally like laying more than 2.5 or 3.5 games, but I do think at least one of these sets has the potential to get ugly. And all things considered, 4.5 games isn’t a lot over the course of a five-set match. So, I’m backing Wawrinka to cover the game spread and I’m actually going a little over a unit on this one. Wawrinka has played some fantastic tennis in recent weeks, and his gorgeous one-handed backhand looked remarkable in a straight-set win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round.
Bet: Wawrinka -4.5 Games (-110 – 1.5 units)
Linda Noskova vs. Ons Jabeur
Jabeur was visibly ill in her first-round match and I’m not sure how she’ll recover heading into the second round. That said, I’m expecting a pretty sizable dip in her performance. That’s not to say that I think Jabeur will lose to Noskova, but I do think there’s a pretty good chance that this one will be closer than expected. After all, there’s a reason the oddsmakers are barely favoring the Tunisian to win.
Jabeur is also dealing with a confidence struggle right now, as she has openly stated that she thinks about her loss in the Wimbledon final often. You can’t show up to tournaments like the US Open with any sort of physical or emotional issues and expect to win easily. So, I’m playing the Over on this match and I’m not worrying about the sides for a single second. However, this should be a fun match for people to watch. Noskova is an exciting young player and deserves the big stage to showcase her talent.
Bet: Over 21.5 Games (-120)
ADDED PLAYS:
Matteo Arnaldi ML (+130) vs. Arthur Fils
Botic van de Zandschulp ML (+145 – 1.5 units) vs. Daniel Evans
2023 Overall Record: 264-243 (+36.40 units)
