This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
First-round action continues Wednesday at the Canadian Open from the respective hard courts of Montreal (men) and Toronto (women). The crowds at both venues will try to help will Canadian players to victory, while an American favorite could be in trouble in a battle of big servers, and two of the biggest names in the women's draw are set for a high profile first-round faceoff.
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 in states where sports betting has gone live.
All men's and women's singles matches at the Canadian Open 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.
Canadian Open Tennis Picks: Upset Alert
Alexander Bublik (+175) vs. Ben Shelton
This battle between big servers is likely to come down to a few key points and should be viewed as more of a toss-up than the odds suggest. Shelton has some of the worst return statistics in the top 100, so he's going to have trouble generating break points. The 14th-ranked American has also been prone to some early letdowns, losing his first match in four of his last eight tournaments. The 25th-ranked Bublik is a tough first-round draw, and Bublik's 14-7 hard-court record in 2024 is superior to Shelton's 14-9 mark.
Rebecca Marino (+210) vs. Magda Linette
Marino has spent most of the year toiling away on the ITF circuit, as top-level players tend to exploit the 33-year-old Canadian's subpar mobility, but she has plenty of recent matches under her belt and has won a pair of ITF-level titles in 2024. Linette has found some success on clay recently and is ranked 102 spots above Marino at No. 43, but the Pole has struggled on hard courts, going 3-14 in her last 17 matches on this surface dating back to October. Linette tends to litter the stat sheet, and her timing could be off as she tries to adjust from clay to hard courts, which could be the opening her Canadian opponent needs to thrill the crowd with an upset.
Honorable Mention
Anna Blinkova (+185) vs. Peyton Stearns
Canadian Open Tennis Odds: Lock It In
Diana Shnaider (-240) vs. Harriet Dart
Shnaider has been rapidly ascending, winning three of the last eight singles tournaments she has entered and adding a silver medal in doubles at the Olympics. The 20-year-old Russian has climbed to 24th in the rankings with this recent hot streak, a remarkable rise from playing college tennis at NC State last year to becoming a contender in the pro ranks. Shnaider's lefty power off the ground will likely prove too much for the 78th-ranked Dart to handle. Dart went 1-8 in her last nine WTA main draw matches before picking up a few wins during the grass court season in her home country of Great Britain, and she has a 2-7 career hard-court Grand Slam record.
Felix Auger-Aliassime (-275) vs. Flavio Cobolli
Cobolli actually beat Auger-Aliassime in Acapulco earlier this year, but the Canadian is likely to prevail in this rematch. In addition to having the crowd in his corner this time, Auger-Aliassime is in much better form coming off a semifinal showing in singles at the Olympics, plus a bronze medal in mixed doubles. The 19th-ranked FAA has a 14-spot edge in the rankings, and while Cobolli's also in good form after reaching the final in Washington, D.C. last week, Auger-Aliassime's big serve could prove to be the difference in this matchup between opponents who like to dictate play with their forehands.
Honorable Mention
Tommy Paul (-700) vs. Luciano Darderi
Canadian Open Tennis Predictions: Value Bets
Ons Jabeur (+150) vs. Naomi Osaka
Osaka has a lot more hard-court accolades in her career, but she's just 7-6 on the surface this year. Jabeur has struggled to a 2-5 hard-court record in 2024, but she has typically performed better in the second half of the season, as the 16th-ranked Tunisian went 14-8 on the surface post-Wimbledon in 2023, including an 11-2 mark against players ranked outside the top 30. Jabeur's cerebral game could prove tough for Osaka to handle, as Jabeur rarely beats herself while Osaka has had a tendency to go through error-filled patches since coming back to the WTA Tour in 2024. If both players bring their A-game, Osaka will win, but Osaka's much more likely to be off with her timing, especially since she'll be adjusting from clay to hard courts while Jabeur has been practicing on this surface, having skipped the Olympics.
Arthur Fils (+135) vs. Ugo Humbert
This is an interesting clash between talented Frenchmen. Humbert has an eight-spot edge in rankings at No. 15 and a 2-0 head-to-head advantage, but the 20-year-old Fils is rapidly improving and could be ready to leapfrog his compatriot as France's top tennis player. Fils had a disappointing first-round loss to Matteo Arnaldi at the Olympics, but he preceded that loss with a fourth-round result at Wimbledon and his second ATP Tour title in Hamburg, where Fils beat Alexander Zverev in the final. Humbert won a pair of hard-court titles during a red-hot February, but he has gone just 12-13 since then, so Fils has been the better player over the last few months.
Honorable Mention
Cameron Norrie (-150) vs. Marcos Giron
