This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
First-round play begins Wednesday from the hard courts of Indian Wells. All 32 seeds in both the men's and women's singles draws have byes into the second round, so Wednesday's action will feature only unseeded players. Even so, former champions here will be in action on both the men's and women's sides Wednesday. Those players will try to use their comfort with these unusually slow hard-court conditions to advance, while a pair of 23-year-olds that have been done in by some tough draws recently will look to capitalize on their reprieves against much more beatable opponents.
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 Indian Wells 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.
Indian Wells Tennis Picks: Upset Alert
Yunchaokete Bu (+140) vs. Nishesh Basavareddy
Bu has battled some tough draws to begin 2025 after excelling at the Challenger level in 2024 to break into the top 100. The 23-year-old is currently ranked No. 71, with a 3-1 record against lower-ranked players this year but a brutal 0-7 mark against top-70 competition, including two losses against top-five opponents in his last three matches. He'll face a much more beatable foe here in the 101st-ranked Basavareddy. While the 19-year-old American showed some promise in his seminal run in Auckland prior to the Australian Open, Basavareddy has yet to really establish himself on the ATP Tour and will be playing his first Masters 1000 main draw match.
Mayar Sherif (+380) vs. Xinyu Wang
Sherif's 0-5 record in 2025 doesn't inspire much confidence, but it's hard to justify Wang being such a heavy favorite in this match considering Wang's last main-draw win against a top-100 opponent came back in October. Wang's on a three-match losing streak of her own, though she still has a 25-spot edge in the rankings over Sherif at No. 42. Neither player has played up to her ranking the last few months, but Sherif can swing a bit more freely as the underdog in this clash of players in search of confidence. They split two previous hard-court meetings since March of 2023.
Honorable Mention
Lulu Sun (+235) vs. Rebecca Sramkova
Indian Wells Tennis Odds: Lock It In
Naomi Osaka (-300) vs. Camila Osorio
Osaka likely won't ever regain the early-career that helped her win four hard-court Grand Slams, but she still has more than enough game to cruise by Osorio on this surface. The Japanese big hitter will be able to get on the front foot in rallies constantly, minimizing the impact of her inferior movement while pushing around the light-hitting Osorio. Osaka has won all six matches that she has played from start to finish this season, and she has had plenty of time to recover from the strained abdominal muscle that ended her Australian Open in the third round against Belinda Bencic.
Peyton Stearns (-185) vs. Magda Linette
Stearns' 7-7 record in 2025 isn't all that impressive, but the 44th-ranked American has run into some tough draws, as five of those losses have come against top-15 opponents. The 23-year-old Cincinnati native has one of the best forehands on the WTA Tour and could be on the verge of breaking out with some better luck. She's actually ranked eight spots back of Linette, but while Stearns is on an ascendent trajectory, the 33-year-old Pole appears to be running out of gas. Linette's just 6-9 in her last 15 matches, and she has never found much success at Indian Wells, with a 3-7 career record in this tournament.
Honorable Mention
Fabian Marozsan (-225) vs. Pedro Martinez
Indian Wells Tennis Predictions: Value Bets
Cameron Norrie (-165) vs. Luca Nardi
Norrie has declined significantly after being a top-20 staple in 2021-2023, dropping to No. 77 in the rankings, which is 10 spots behind Nardi. If there's any venue at which Norrie's capable of recapturing his prime form, it's this one. Norrie is 13-5 in his career at Indian Wells, including a surprise title in 2021. Nardi has just an 8-17 career ATP Tour hard-court record, and while the Italian showcased his upside with a stunning win over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells last year, Nardi's inability to string together results thus far in his career leaves him as the underdog against the far more experienced and steady Norrie.
Jordan Thompson (-140) vs. Corentin Moutet
Thompson didn't miss being seeded by much, and the world No. 38 is a high-floor player who usually takes care of business against lesser opponents, which is why Thompson lost first round in only two of the eight Masters 1000 events he played last year. Moutet hasn't been ranked in the top 50 in his career, and the fiery Frenchman is currently ranked 79th, so this is the type of match that the solid Aussie usually finds a way to win by maintaining a consistent level.
Honorable Mention
Reilly Opelka (-105) vs. Roman Safiullin
