U.S. Open Tennis odds preview: Best U.S. Open Tennis bets, underdog picks, and up to $2,850 in sportsbook promo codes

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Round 1 of the U.S. Open is only three days away, with several storylines creating unparalleled intrigue and anticipation. Novak Djokovic returns to Flushing Meadows after being prohibited from entering North America for the 2022 tournament due to refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz took full advantage of Djokovic’s absence, winning his first Grand Slam title. Djokovic is the slight favorite to win his fourth U.S. Open, while Alcaraz follows closely on his heels as the second favorite across the board.

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Both sides of the draw have clear favorites, eye-catching underdogs, veterans looking to enhance their legendary status, and up-and-comers hoping to knock them off their lofty, sturdy pedestals.

Djokovic is the favorite across the board, garnering +120 to +125 odds to hoist the trophy. He hasn’t won the U.S. Open since 2018, going out in the fourth round in two of his three previous appearances. The other saw him lose to No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

Alcaraz is the runaway second favorite, yielding +150 to +175 odds to win his second straight U.S. Open. The Spanish prodigy won at Wimbledon but lost in an epic final to Djokovic at the Cincinnati Open, the U.S. Open’s primary warmup event.

On the women’s side, No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek looks to defend her U.S. Open title. She beat No. 5 seed Ons Jabeur in straight sets in the 2022 final, winning her first U.S. Open crown. The Polish 22-year-old is the favorite to triumph, but No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has been excellent at Flushing Meadows recently.

Sabalenka won the 2023 Australian Open and advanced to the French Open and Wimbledon semifinals. She’s also made it to the last four in her previous two appearances at the U.S. Open.

The margin between Djokovic and Alcaraz is razor-thin. However, Alcaraz’s performance at Flushing Meadows in 2022 was almost flawless. In addition, he’s 16 years younger than Djokovic. That usually doesn’t matter when facing the flawlessly fit Djoko, but it might at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Alcaraz is relentless. He never concedes a point, pushing each opponent to the brink of a mental and physical breakdown. The 20-year-old lost to Djokovic last week at the Cincinnati Open final, an epic three-set battle. If it were a five-set showdown, I feel Alcaraz would have outlasted Djoko, albeit barely.

Djoko has a clear path to the final. He might have to face No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas and the youthful wonder Holger Rune, but those opponents, while quality on their day, shouldn’t be enough to derail Djoko.

The Djoker should advance to his 10th U.S. Open final. He’s only won three of his previous nine U.S. Open finals, a comparatively subpar record for arguably the world’s best tennis player of all time.

Sabalenka is lethal on hard court. Her baseline power and velocity of her first serve overcome even the best defenders. And she’s been knocking on the U.S. Open door as hard as her first serve, advancing to consecutive semifinals in her previous two appearances.

The 25-year-old is in the prime of her career, advancing to the semifinals in six of her last Grand Slam appearances. She won her first Grand Slam on a hard-court surface at the 2023 Australian Open.

If she can limit her mistakes and unforced errors, which have cost her dearly in the past, she has an excellent chance of winning her first U.S. Open.

Despite Casper Ruud’s No. 5 world ranking, he is an undisputed long shot to win at Flushing Meadows. His preferred surface is clay, as the Norwegian’s skill set is more suited to slower conditions.

However, he advanced to the 2022 U.S. Open final, losing to Alcaraz in four sets. He is also the fifth seed, consistently showcasing his ability to play at an elite level on tour year-round. It might be worth putting a few dollars on the Norwegian, who has the skill set to make another deep run in New York.

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