This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The second round of the US Open continues Thursday from the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens, New York. This is a promising day for both favorites and underdogs among Americans in the women's draw, while an all-American clash and a battle between two of the biggest names in the sport headline the action on the men's side. All Tennis Odds & Lines are taken from DraftKings Sportsbook, but you can sometimes find more favorable odds on some of these matches by checking mobile sportsbooks such as FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, or any of the other best sports betting sites. We offer exclusive sign-up bonuses for some of those sportsbooks in states where sports betting has gone live.
All men's singles matches at Grand Slams such as the US Open are best of five sets, while women's singles matches are best of three sets. A mix of players' previous hard court results, recent form and stylistic matchups can help pinpoint intriguing betting opportunities, both among favorites likely to cruise to victory and underdogs ready to pull off upsets. The aforementioned underdogs are highlighted in the Upset Alert section, the Lock It In section covers players who can safely be considered overwhelming favorites, while the Value Bets section recommends enticing options in matchups that are considered closer to toss-ups.
US Open Picks: Upset Alert
Sofia Kenin (+190) vs. Daria Kasatkina
Kenin played well in her return from a thigh injury that's kept her out since Wimbledon, knocking off Ana Bogdan in straight sets in the first round. Prior to getting hurt, the 2020 Australian Open champion was playing some of her best tennis since that year, beating Coco Gauff in the first round at Wimbledon. Kenin can keep pace with Kasatkina on the ground and should get ahead consistently while returning Kasatkina's vulnerable serve. The 13th-seeded Kasatkina barely escaped with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 first-round win over Alycia Parks in the opening round. Kasatkina had zero aces and six double faults in that match, and Kenin's far better equipped than her American compatriot Parks to punish Kasatkina's serving struggles.
Botic van de Zandschulp (+165) vs. Daniel Evans
Evans got through world No. 71 Daniel Elahi Galan handily in the first round, but that win improved the Brit's record to just 14-20 on the year. Van de Zandschulp has been only marginally better at 15-17, but he's above .500 on hard courts at 10-8 this year and enjoyed a breakout performance at the 2021 US Open, reaching the quarterfinals. Both players like to keep their opponents off balance on the ground, but van de Zandschulp has more pop on his serve, and those extra free points could prove to be the difference in this one.
Honorable Mention
Linda Noskova (+155) vs. Ons Jabeur
US Open Odds: Lock It In
Matteo Berrettini (-500) vs. Arthur Rinderknech
Berrettini's ranked 36th, but that doesn't accurately reflect his ability, as the former world No. 6 dealt with an abdominal injury earlier this year but has regained the form that's allowed him to hang in or near the top 10 for most of the past few years. The big-serving Italian's last four appearances at the US Open have resulted in one trip to the semifinals, two additional quarterfinals and a Round of 16. Rinderknech is just 10-17 in 2023 and 3-8 on hard courts, so it would be surprising if the 73rd-ranked Frenchman could win one set against Berrettini, let alone three.
Madison Keys (-550) vs. Yanina Wickmayer
Wickmayer would maybe have been able to trouble Keys a few years ago, but the 33-year-old German is far removed from the level of tennis that helped her reach the US Open semifinals back in 2009. Dating back to the 2018 US Open, Wickmayer has won just three Grand Slam matches, and her first-round win here was against the even more past-her-prime Vera Zvonareva, who is ranked outside the top 500 at age 38. Keys is still capable of producing her best tennis at age 28, and the17th-seeded American has fallen short of the third round at the US Open only once since 2014. Her power and athleticism should carry Keys to an easy win over Wickmayer and into another third round at her home slam.
Honorable Mention
Stan Wawrinka (-310) vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
US Open Predictions: Value Bets
Grigor Dimitrov (-125) vs. Andy Murray
Often times the toughest players to beat are those that just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and now feel like they're playing with house money. We just saw that with Elise Mertens in the women's draw, who saved triple match point against Mirjam Bjorklund in the first round, then stayed calm under pressure to execute a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1 comeback against Danielle Collins in the second round. Dimitrov had a similar experience in the first round, as the No. 19 seed trailed two sets to love against Alex Molcan and faced two match points at 7-9 in the 10-point match tiebreaker before ultimately winning it 11-9 to complete the five-set comeback. This will amazingly be the first meeting between these two prominent veterans since 2016, so Murray's 8-3 head-to-head edge doesn't mean much, as the 36-year-old Brit appears much closer to the end of his career at this point than the 32-year-old Bulgarian. Dimitrov has had some ill-timed injuries in recent years, but Murray's the one with the physical question marks heading into this match, as he's been nursing an abdominal injury.
John Isner (-125) vs. Michael Mmoh
Isner was motivated and effective in his first-round match against Facundo Diaz Acosta, getting through the first match of his final tournament in straight sets. This US Open marks the 38-year-old American's swan song, and he has the opportunity to cap his career with one last deep run after the draw opened up. Mmoh dropped just eight games against No. 11 seed Karen Khachanov in the first round, but Khachanov was a shell of his usual self after having been sidelined since the French Open by a stress fracture in his back. While the 89th-ranked Mmoh is actually 68 spots ahead of Isner in the rankings, Isner is capably of producing a much higher level of tennis, having been to the Round of 16 or better at 10 Grand Slams, compared to zero such results for the 25-year-old Mmoh. With Isner's serving prowess, this match is likely to come down to a few key points in tiebreaks, and a relaxed yet determined Isner should handle those better as he looks to extend his career for at least one more match.
Honorable Mention
Gael Monfils (+145) vs. Andrey Rublev
