Ricky Dimon
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The first big tennis event since the Australian Open is taking place this week and next at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Palm Springs, California. It’s the first Masters 1000 tournament of the year, too – meaning 1000 ranking points go to the champion (Grand Slams, by comparison, are worth 2000).
As of now, all of the top players in the world are in the field – including second-ranked Novak Djokovic. However, the Serb is currently unable to enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner and there is little reason to think he will get an exemption from the CDC before he would play his first match this weekend. Assuming Djokovic is forced to withdraw, Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal would be the top 2 favorites. They just faced each other in the Aussie Open final, with Nadal staging an epic comeback to triumph in 5 sets.
Will the Spaniard remain on a roll in Indian Wells? Let’s take look at the odds and best bets to be made for the upcoming tennis festivities.
Indian Wells men’s singles odds
Here are the odds for the Indian Wells men’s singles tournament, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:
Novak Djokovic +200
Daniil Medvedev +275
Rafael Nadal +275
Alexander Zverev +800
Stefanos Tsitsipas +900
Andrey Rublev +1500
Carlos Alcaraz +1700
Felix Auger-Aliassime +2000
Matteo Berrettini +2500
Jannik Sinner +2500
Cameron Norrie +3500
Denis Shapovalov +4000
Hubert Hurkacz +4000
Casper Ruud +5000
2022 Indian Wells winner prediction: Rafael Nadal (+275)
Nadal and Medvedev also squared off last month in Acapulco, where the 21-time Grand Slam champion coasted to a 6-3, 6-3 semifinal victory on his way to yet another title. He is now 15-0 this season (also won a small tournament in Melbourne prior to the Australian Open). There is no reason to think that Nadal will slow down in the desert. The 35-year-old is 54-10 lifetime in the desert with 3 titles. Playing conditions are favorable for him, as well: fast enough – but not too fast – and relatively high-bouncing. The rest of the field is once again on notice from the hottest player on the ATP Tour.
Indian Wells 2-star value play: Andrey Rublev (+1500)
The second-hottest player right now may be Rublev. Although the world No. 7 finds himself in Djokovic’s section of the draw, that will probably end up being a good thing this time around since the No. 2 seed is unlikely to play. If and when Djokovic withdraws, it will open up Rublev’s road in a major way. And the 24-year-old should be able to take advantage. He is an awesome 14-2 in 2022 and coming off consecutive titles in Marseille and Dubai.
Indian Wells 1-star value play: Alexander Zverev (+800)
Not unlike the case with Rublev, Djokovic’s anticipated ouster could benefit Zverev. The third-ranked German is also in the bottom half of the Indian Wells draw, for the time being on a collision course with Djokovic for the semifinals (Djokovic versus Rublev would be a quarterfinal). If and when the Serb’s exit becomes official, Zverev immediately vaults into favorite status to reach the final and climbs to the third favorite for the title behind Medvedev and Nadal. The 24-year-old has to like his chances no matter what, as he is already a 5-time champion at the Masters 1000 level. Grand Slams have generally been a problem for Zverev, but he certainly has no such issues at 1000s.
The Pickswise tennis handicappers are on hand throughout the entire tennis season, bringing you the best free expert Tennis predictions and picks from top events including the U.S. Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
