Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here are our best bets for Sunday, July 16:
TOP PLAY
The play: Wimbledon, Djokovic wins the match and both players win a set
The odds: +130
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Time/TV: 9 a.m. (ESPN)
Our take: Gone are the days when Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated the men’s tennis scene. Federer is retired and Nadal has struggled with injuries during the back half of his career, which has seemingly left Djokovic standing alone at the sport’s pinnacle.
However, that’s about to change.
It seems the Serbian finally has some serious competition in the form of a 20-year-old Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz. The two meet for a second time in as many months late in a major tournament after their battle in the French Open semifinal. Djokovic beat Alcaraz in four sets on the day to even up the all-time series between these two stars at one apiece. Now, they square off again on tennis’ biggest stage at Wimbledon.
There is too much risk involved to take Djokovic at -210 on FanDuel Sportsbook, and although Alcaraz is an attractive bet at +172, there’s too much risk involved. Therefore, we’re going for a much safer pick with Djokovic to win the match and both players to win a set on the famous English grass.
ALCARAZ-DJOKOVIC TO GO THE DISTANCE AT WIMBLEDON
The play: Wimbledon, Alcaraz-Djokovic to go to five sets
The odds: +195
The book: Caesars Sportsbook
Our take: These two failed to go to five sets in either of their previous meetings. Alcaraz won their first-ever match in a three-set tiebreaker from Madrid and Djokovic won the French Open semifinal contest in four sets last month. Why then are we choosing this one to go the distance?
This contest just has a special feel about it. It feels like the beginning of something special that is beginning to brew, and the Wimbledon final will be the match that everybody remembers as the start of a historic rivalry.
Alcaraz went toe-to-toe with Djokovic early in the French Open before cramps in the third set saw him fall in four sets. He is healthy again and this rubber match is being played on a much less physically demanding playing surface. There is no way to pass up on this play at nearly 2/1 odds.
HOW WE’VE FARED
• Scottish Open: Rory McIlroy to lead after three rounds (WON)
• MLS: Sebastian Driussi anytime goalscorer vs. Sporting KC (LOST)
Saturday’s record: 1-1
Total for the week: 3-4, 2 pending
Total for July: 10-14, 2 pending
Total for 2023: 160-176, 2 pending
NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
