Tennis best bets for the action at the Miami Open on Wednesday, March 22nd
The Miami Open is underway at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and we’re going to be diving into the action for the second half of the Sunshine Double. Last week, Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina emerged as champions at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Now, they’re each trying to win back-to-back titles, and they’d join rare company if they accomplished that feat. With that out of the way, keep reading for our tennis best bets for Wednesday, March 22nd, and make sure you come back for more! We also included some of our favorite future bets for this tournament. We hit Alcaraz to win at +650 in Indian Wells and we like our chances of cashing in again at the end of this one.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on March 22
Alexei Popyrin vs. Mikael Ymer
Popyrin and Ymer met in a Challenger in Phoenix last week. The Australian cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win in that one, and he needed only an hour and 27 minutes to do it. Now, you can get Popyrin at plus-money odds to beat him a week later? Yes, please.
The courts in Phoenix last week were extremely slow, but Popyrin is a big enough hitter to swing through any conditions for winners. In Miami, the courts themselves aren’t quite as slow as they are in Phoenix (or Indian Wells), but the humidity in Florida makes it similarly difficult to hit winners. With that said, this match shouldn’t be all that different than the one played last week.
Ymer has also lost three of his last four matches coming into this one. Meanwhile, Popyrin is 10-8 since the start of the 2023 season, and he seems poised to continue playing well during this unique stretch of slower hard-court play.
Bet: Popyrin ML (+110)
Emma Raducanu vs. Bianca Andreescu
Raducanu and Andreescu both suffered the same fate at Indian Wells, as they both were eliminated by world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. It was, however, the Brit that went further in the tournament, as she won three matches in the desert — including victories over Magda Linette and Beatriz Haddad Maia, who are both good players. And overall, Raducanu looked like the stronger player last week, with her new changes to her forehand paying dividends immediately.
With Raducanu having won three matches last week, the 20-year-old is now 5-3 to start the 2023 season. Meanwhile, Andreescu is just 5-6 on the season, and she hasn’t really proven that she can string together wins against high-level opponents. With Raducanu being the player with more confidence, it’s hard not to bet her here. She’s also the better mover between these players, and that’s important when you factor in that Raducanu can also match Andreescu when it comes to power.
Bet: Raducanu ML (-108)
Bonus: Miami Open Futures
Carlos Alcaraz to win (+200 – 2.5 units): Alcaraz proved he’s healthy in winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells last week, and he also showed that he’s leaps and bounds better than anybody outside of Novak Djokovic. With the Serbian once again not allowed to compete in the United States, it’s hard to come up with reasons Alcaraz won’t win this one. The price here isn’t great, but it’s worth putting a little more on it than usual. Alcaraz is the defending champion in Miami, and he’s wired differently. The win last week won’t satisfy this kid, who is out to be one of the all-time greats.
Alexander Zverev (+2500 – 0.5 units): In addition to backing Alcaraz, it’s worth taking a shot on Zverev here. The 25-year-old won two matches in Indian Wells and nearly beat Daniil Medvedev in the Round of 16. He looks like he’s very close to finding his form after having had his 2022 season derailed with a significant ankle injury. With that said, it’s only a matter of time before he starts becoming a player in big tournaments like this one. At these odds, we’d suggest playing it and hoping the breakthrough happens here.
Aryna Sabalenka (+550 – 1 unit), Elena Rybakina (+700 – 1 unit) and Barbora Krejcikova (+1000 – 1 unit) to win: Swiatek is the top-ranked player in the world, but it seems as though these three are starting to narrow the gap — especially in hard-court tournaments. Sabalenka and Rybakina have the power to make her uncomfortable on these surfaces, while Swiatek has had trouble handling Krejcikova’s all-around game. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to back all three of these players. At their current odds, you would profit if any of the three of them won. And it doesn’t hurt that Swiatek has been dealing with a rib injury.