This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
Second-round action at the BNP Paribas Open begins Friday, providing our first look at seeded players, who benefited from first-round byes in both the men's and women's draws. The men's action from the hard courts of Indian Wells, California features a couple of clashes between slumping opponents, while some of the biggest risers on the WTA Tour so far in 2023 will be looking to build on their hot starts. 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, as well as specific bonuses for users located in Massachusetts, where online sports betting goes live Friday.
All matches at the BNP Paribas Open are best of three sets, which is the case for all ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 level tournaments. 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.
Indian Wells Picks: Upset Alert
Ugo Humbert (+160) vs. Denis Shapovalov
Shapovalov has been eminently beatable recently, with a 7-9 record in his last 16 matches and just two wins over top-80 opponents over that span. Humbert just makes that cutoff at No. 77, but the former world No. 25 is back on the rise after a terrible 2022 season; Humbert's 7-2 in his last nine matches, albeit with four of those victories coming at the challenger level. The shotmaking in this match should be impressive given both of these players' flare, but given both guys' lack of confidence due to recent failures, the 24-year-old Frenchman should benefit from swinging freely as the underdog against the 23-year-old Canadian.
Anna Blinkova (+310) vs. Veronika Kudermetova
Kudermetova has suffered her fair share of disappointing losses lately. Her 5-5 record in the last 10 matches includes an upset at the hands of unseeded Katie Volynets at the Australian Open and a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing from Iga Swiatek in Qatar. Blinkova will look to capitalize on her 11th-ranked countrywoman's vulnerability. While Blinkova has struggled to string together good results since a semifinal run at the Hobart International in January, she's coming off a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 first-round win over Ann Li, and Blinkova pushed Kudermetova to 8-6 in the final set tiebreak in their only previous hard-court encounter.
Honorable Mention
Taro Daniel (+260) vs. Matteo Berrettini
Indian Wells Odds: Lock It In
Casper Ruud (-300) vs. Diego Schwartzman
Both of these players were hoping for better starts to 2023, but they have struggled to different degrees. Schwartzman's first-round victory over Federico Coria — who dropped to 6-21 on hard courts in his career — was just his second win of 2023 compared to six losses, five of which have come against opponents ranked outside the top 60. Ruud's only 3-4 on the year, but he's at least been much more competitive, with two of his four defeats coming in final-set tiebreakers and the other two coming against top-40 competition. The world No. 4 should comfortably dictate play from the baseline with his big forehand in this matchup, and while Schwartzman leads their head-to-head 5-3 overall, it's 3-1 for Ruud since 2021.
Barbora Krejcikova (-500) vs. Dayana Yastremska
Krejcikova's the hottest player on the WTA Tour, as she's coming off a WTA 1000 title in Dubai, which included victories over each of the top three players in the world rankings. The 2021 French Open champion is unlikely to have her momentum interrupted by the 142nd-ranked Yastremska, who has lost her last eight matches against players ranked in the top 40.
Honorable Mention
Karen Khachanov (-350) vs. Oscar Otte
Indian Wells Predictions: Value Bets
Donna Vekic (-150) vs. Lesia Tsurenko
Vekic has been one of the top performers on the WTA Tour to begin 2023, as she's 14-2, including a quarterfinal result at the Australian Open. She has surged up to No. 23 in the rankings after last week's title in Monterrey, which included a victory over fifth-ranked Caroline Garcia in the championship match. Vekic should continue her ascent against the 95th-ranked Tsurenko.
Linda Fruhvirtova (+125) vs. Anhelina Kalinina
Fruhvirtova continues to show maturity beyond her years. The 17-year-old rising star didn't panic after dropping the first set 6-0 to Mayar Sherif in the first round, bouncing back for a 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 win. That victory gives Fruhvirtova a 6-3 record in her last nine matches, including a run to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open. Fruhvirtova's a modest underdog here, but it's likely just a matter of time until Fruhvirtova surpasses the 29th-ranked Kalinina in the rankings, and the Ukrainian has already lost to three players ranked outside the top 40 this year.
Honorable Mention
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (-120) vs. Yibing Wu
