Novak Djokovic will be playing for the first time since triumphing at the Australian Open when he takes the court later this week at the BNP Paribas Open. The world No. 1 also won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last season in addition to Masters 1000 events in Cincinnati and Shanghai, making him an obvious favorite (+120) in Indian Wells.
Djokovic’s draw, however, is not easy. He could run into Acapulco champion Nick Kyrgios in the third round and a red-hot Gael Monfils in the last 16. Kyrgios (a +3300 fifth choice in the desert) had been a disaster this year before making an incredible run–from completely out of nowhere–in Acapulco, beating Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, John Isner, and Alexander Zverev along the way. In other words, who knows what will be on display this fortnight? Which Kyrgios will we get?
With the 23-year-old Australian and other rising stars like Stefanos Tsitsipas in fine form, another Masters shield for Djokovic, Nadal (+450), or Roger Federer (+550) is not a foregone conclusion.
If you’re looking to make things exciting via a bet, it’s hard to stray far from Djokovic. He is coming off three straight Grand Slam titles and is the safe pick if you’re looking for a likely winner. That being said, another young gun like Denis Shapovalov (+20000) could be a great underdog choice. With two Masters 1000 semifinals under his belt before the age of 20, he definitely has great value. Be sure to check different sportsbooks before you lock in your pick. These have all been reviewed and should give you the info you need to make an educated decision.
Nadal, the second favorite behind Djokovic, is a three-time champion in Indian Wells (2007, 2009, 2013).
“The conditions adapt very well to my game,” Nadal noted. “That’s the real thing. I feel like home. I feel very comfortable in this tournament. I feel very happy when I am here. Is more relaxing tournament than other ones, and probably that gives me a positive feeling.”
The second-ranked Spaniard is on a collision course with Federer for the semifinals. But both all-time greats have plenty of work in front of them before they can make it that far. Nadal could run into a confident Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round and Isner in the quarters. Federer and Wawrinka will likely go head-to-head in round three.
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who ya got?
What bad luck for Nole to get Kyrgios. Picked Nole over Nick but you never know. Nick could win the tournament, if everything clicks for him. But my tournament winner is: #1 Novak.
When will the tournament picks be up? Could you possibly post picks from 4th round instead of the quarter-finals? 🙂
they are up. I will post my R4 in the comments on that thread.
cant see past a Djokovic win, actually cant see past Djokovic dominating the whole year, hope im wrong on that though ….
The chances of Nick playing well two tournaments in a row is what you’ve got to remember . Esp remaining interested through a long one like IW.