This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The first round of the BNP Paribas Open continues Thursday. The top 32 seeds in both the men's and women's draw have byes into the second round, but there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to follow on the second day of play from the hard courts of Indian Wells, California. A few Americans on both the men's and women's side are in good position to pick up wins Thursday, including one who's hoping to pull off an upset in front of friends and family. 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 is set to go 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
Yulia Putintseva (+185) vs. Karolina Muchova
Putintseva's rarely an easy out. The world No. 42 is a three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, and she's in decent form at the moment. In her previous two tournaments, Putintseva beat a pair of top-40 opponents in Bianca Andreescu and Petra Martic while losing to top-20 foes Beatriz Haddad Maia and Petra Kvitova, with Haddad Maia requiring a third-set tiebreak to get by Putintseva. Muchova has a higher ceiling, but the former Australian Open semifinalist has had trouble staying healthy lately. As a result, Muchova has dropped to No. 76 in the rankings, and she withdrew from Dubai with an abdominal injury less than two weeks ago.
Brandon Holt (+300) vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
Don't underestimate the value of Holt having a partisan crowd on his side against a volatile player like Kokkinakis. The 24-year-old American is ranked just inside the top 200, but he grew up driving distance from Indian Wells. While Holt -- who is the son of Hall of Famer Tracy Austin -- is just getting started on the pro tour, he already has a signature win under his belt, as he upset Taylor Fritz at this past US Open. Kokkinakis has a pair of losses to players ranked outside the top 350 since May, and handling adversity hasn't been a strong suit over the years for Nick Kyrgios' doubles partner. If Holt can hang in early and get the crowd into it, he might just ride the wave to an upset win over his 94th-ranked opponent.
Honorable Mention
Jule Niemeier (+220) vs. Katerina Siniakova
Indian Wells Odds: Lock It In
Bernarda Pera (-220) vs. Lucia Bronzetti
Pera's been a bit of a disappointment so far in 2023 after breaking out with a 16-match win streak last summer, but the American lefty has a comfortable first-round draw here. Bronzetti's on a six-match losing streak, with four of those defeats coming against players ranked outside the top 70. The 43rd-ranked Pera should take control of this match with her big forehand and add to the Italian's struggles.
Caty McNally (-250) vs. Emma Navarro
McNally's the more established professional in this battle of 21-year-old Americans. She closed out 2022 with a title and is currently carrying the best ranking of her career at No. 73. Navarro is just one ranking spot off her career high at No. 128, but the New York City native has mostly been grinding ITF level tournaments up to this point. Since beating Madison Brengle in August, Navarro has gone 0-4 against opponents ranked in the top 90, winning only one set across those four matches.
Honorable Mention
Marketa Vondrousova (-310) vs. Rebecca Marino
Indian Wells Predictions: Value Bets
Jack Draper (-165) vs. Leandro Riedi
Draper's making his first appearance since the Australian Open due to a leg injury, but a comfortable first-round draw should allow the talented Brit to shake off any rust. The 135th-ranked Riedi has a 1-3 career record in ATP Tour matches, with his lone victory coming last month against the slumping Arthur Rinderknech. There's a massive gap in results between this pair of 21-year-olds, as Draper broke into the top 40 earlier this year and notched wins over Tommy Paul and Karen Khachanov in January prior to getting injured.
J.J. Wolf (-160) vs. Marton Fucsovics
At this stage of these players' respective careers, this is definitely a match Wolf should win. Wolf has broken into the top 50 thanks to a Round of 16 run at the Australian Open followed by a semifinal showing in Dallas, where he defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. His big serve and forehand should allow Wolf to push around the 84th-ranked Fucsovics, who is a consummate professional but can't match Wolf's firepower. The 31-year-old Hungarian is 1-5 in his last six matches at all levels, with his only win coming against a player ranked outside the top 150.
Honorable Mention
Alex Molcan (+125) vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
