This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
Second-round play at the Australian Open begins Wednesday from the hard courts of Melbourne Park, with the action starting while it's still Tuesday night in the United States. A big-serving American will attempt to pull off an upset on the men's side, while a few women who showed strong form in the final months of 2024 will look to keep rolling early in 2025.
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All men's singles matches at Grand Slams such as the Australian 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 viewed as overwhelming favorites, while the Value Bets section recommends enticing options in matchups that are considered closer to toss-ups.
Australian Open Picks: Upset Alert
Reilly Opelka (+200) vs. Tomas Machac
Given Opelka's dominant serve, this match will likely come down to a few key points, and the 6-foot-11 American has the confidence to execute in the clutch after beating Novak Djokovic in Brisbane leading up to this tournament. Both Machac and Opelka ultimately retired from their tune-up tournaments but looked no worse for wear in the first round. Machac has a 145-spot edge in the rankings at No. 25, but Opelka should rocket up the rankings if he stays healthy considering he reached a career high of No. 17 in 2022 before a lengthy battle with injuries.
Olga Danilovic (+250) vs. Liudmila Samsonova
Danilovic closed 2024 on a 10-match winning streak, winning a clay-court ITF title and a hard-court WTA 250 title back-to-back. The up-and-coming 23-year-old has already tasted some Grand Slam success, reaching the French Open fourth round last year, which matches Samsonova's career-best result at a Grand Slam. While Samsonova's more established and has a 34-spot edge in the rankings at No. 21, Samsonova's low-margin game makes her vulnerable when she doesn't have her A-game, which has contributed to her lack of deep runs at majors.
Honorable Mention
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (+240) vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Australian Open Odds: Lock It In
Tommy Paul (-275) vs. Kei Nishikori
Paul was pushed to 7-5 in the fifth set by Christopher O'Connell in the first round, but after getting through that challenge, the 2022 Australian Open semifinalist is well positioned to have an easier time in the second round against veteran Kei Nishikori, who doesn't have the tools to trouble Paul. Nishikori's speed isn't what it once was at age 35, and while he still has excellent timing, Nishikori's power is limited. The 12th-seeded Paul is one of the best returners on the ATP Tour and should consistently generate chances to break Nishikori, whose average first serve speed was under 110 miles per hour in the first round and could be even lower after factoring in the toll on Nishikori's legs from spending over four hours on court to beat Thiago Monteiro in the first round.
Donna Vekic (-475) vs. Harriet Dart
Vekic reached the quarterfinals here in 2023 and had an outstanding second half of 2024, showcasing her all-court game by reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, claiming the silver medal at the Olympics and making a decent Round of 16 run at the U.S. Open. The No. 18 seed has a substantial edge in power against the 112th-ranked Dart, who has already lost once here, falling to Nao Hibino in qualifying before getting into the main draw as a lucky loser.
Honorable Mention
Arthur Fils (-425) vs. Quentin Halys
Australian Open Predictions: Value Bets
Arthur Cazaux (+110) vs. Jacob Fearnley
Cazaux hasn't gotten as much fanfare as Fils, but the 22-year-old Frenchman is a key piece of the country's next generation, with a live arm that should help Cazaux post his best results on faster courts. Coming off a five-set win over No. 28 seed Sebastian Baez, Cazaux should play on the front foot in this match against the 92nd-ranked Fearnley, who is ranked 14 spots behind the Frenchman. Fearnley's coming off a win over Nick Kyrgios, but Kyrgios' movement was significantly hampered relative to his prime due to injuries, while Cazaux's healthy and spry.
Magdalena Frech (-150) vs. Anna Blinkova
Frech posted some nice hard-court results after the U.S. Open, winning a WTA 500 event in addition to reaching a quarterfinal and a Round of 16 at WTA 1000 events. Her best Grand Slam result was a fourth round run here last year, and she's playing well again down under, coming off a 6-4, 6-4 first-round win over surging Brisbane finalist Polina Kudermetova. The No. 23 seed should continue her strong play against the 73rd-ranked Blinkova, who barely escaped 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 against 124th-ranked Daria Saville in the first round.
Honorable Mention
Jordan Thompson (-115) vs. Nuno Borges
