This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
Both Wimbledon women's semifinals are on the schedule Thursday. One semifinal features two players in search of their first Grand Slam title, while the other is a clash between one-slam winners.
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 women's singles matches are best of three sets. A mix of players' previous grass 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.
Wimbledon Odds: Rybakina vs. Krejcikova
Jasmine Paolini (-185) vs. Donna Vekic (+145)
Paolini's playing the most confident and effective tennis of her career, as the 2024 Dubai Masters champion is looking to reach her second Grand Slam final in just over a month, with each of those three outstanding results this year having come on different surfaces. She was bailed out in the Round of 16 when Madison Keys got injured while leading Paolini 5-2 in the third, but Paolini has been dominant in this tournament outside of that match, winning her other four matches in straight sets to improve her overall record in 2024 to 29-12.
Vekic has had to battle every step of the way to reach the semis, needing three sets in four of her five matches. The highest-ranked opponent that Vekic has faced along the way is No. 27 Dayana Yastremska, so the seventh-ranked Paolini is a substantial step up in level of competition. Vekic is ranked 30 spots back of Paolini and has a less impressive 22-14 record in 2024, but the Croatian has reached the Round of 16 or better at all four Grand Slams in her career, though this event marks the first time she has been past the quarterfinals. Both of these 28-year-olds like to take control with aggressive baseline play, but Paolini's superior defense and proven ability to handle big moments could be the difference. Paolini leads their head-to-head 2-1, and all three meetings came prior to the late-blooming Italian's 2024 breakout.
Wimbledon prediction: Paolini def. Vekic 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Wimbledon Odds: Rybakina vs. Krejcikova
Elena Rybakina (-475) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (+350)
Rybakina is the substantial favorite in this match and is also favored to become the first woman to win Wimbledon multiple times since Serena Williams took home her seventh title here in 2016. The big-serving Moscow native has -190 odds to win the title on DraftKings. Rybakina's lone previous Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2022, ironically when Russian players were banned but she could play since her national allegiance for tennis purposes is to Kazakhstan. She hasn't won a Grand Slam since then but has been a mainstay in the WTA's top four. Rybakina's having an outstanding season in 2024, with a 40-7 overall record and three titles. Her powerful serve and groundstrokes suit the grass well, and Rybakina has dropped only one set en route to the semifinals while losing five games or fewer in four of her five matches. Despite being three years younger than each of the other three semifinalists, Rybakina's already the most accomplished singles player of the remaining group.
This is only Krecjikova's second Grand Slam singles semifinal, but the standout doubles player made the most of her first such opportunity, winning both the semifinal and final to claim the 2021 French Open title. Krejcikova has had a largely disappointing season in 2024 while battling injuries, as she came into Wimbledon with a 7-9 record this year and dropped to No. 32 in the rankings after spending most of the past three years in the top 15. The Czech 28-year-old leads Rybakina 2-0 head-to-head, but both matches came over a year ago on hard courts and went to a deciding set. While that edge is encouraging for Krejcikova, Rybakina's likely to turn the tables here given the surface and both players' recent form.
Wimbledon prediction: Rybakina def. Krejcikova 6-2, 6-4
