This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The entire second-round men's and women's Canadian Open slates are set to be played Thursday, so we will get out first look at the top eight seeds in Montreal and Toronto as part of this action-packed day of hard-court tennis. Two of the top men's seeds are in good position to cruise into the Round of 16, while a few Americans are on upset alert north of the border.
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 the Canadian Open 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.
Canadian Open Tennis Picks: Upset Alert
Marina Stakusic (+185) vs. Taylor Townsend
Townsend lost in qualifying to Erika Andreeva, but the 71st-ranked American gained entry into the draw when Yulia Putintseva pulled out and proceeded to catch another lucky break when Dayana Yastremska retired during their first-round match. Stakusic beat Andreeva 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 in a first-round battle of youngsters, so the Canadian teenager will be brimming with confidence heading into this match. While the 19-year-old is still developing her game, she'll look to ride the crowd's energy to a win against Townsend, who was 1-8 in her last nine matches prior to this event.
Peyton Stearns (+310) vs. Madison Keys
Keys was playing fantastic tennis prior to getting hurt at Wimbledon, but this will be her first match since sustaining a leg injury in the Round of 16 at the All-England Club, as the No. 7 seed had a first-round bye here. Keys has plenty of power but lacks margin on her shots, so she can beat herself when her timing is a little off. While the American favorite will be looking to shake off some rust, the American underdog has been getting matches under her belt, as Stearns won a round at the Citi Open last week before falling to Emma Raducanu and put forth a strong first-round performance in her 6-4, 6-3 first-round win over Anna Blinkova. Stearns has plenty of power off the forehand wing herself, and the 22-year-old reached the Round of 16 at last year's U.S. Open.
Honorable Mention
Alexei Popyrin (+175) vs. Ben Shelton
Canadian Open Tennis Odds: Lock It In
Casper Ruud (-425) vs. James Duckworth
Ruud's best results have come on clay, but he's no slouch on hard courts, either, having reached the final of the 2022 U.S. Open and posted an 18-5 hard-court record in 2024. The ninth-ranked Norwegian is head and shoulders above the lucky loser Duckworth, who is ranked 80th and has a career 50-73 hard-court record on the ATP Tour. This is only the second time that the 32-year-old Aussie has advanced past the first round of a Grand Slam or Masters 1000 event since the start of 2022.
Andrey Rublev (-350) vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Rublev has maxed out at the quarterfinal stage in Grand Slams, but the big-hitting Russian has found significantly more success at the Masters 1000 level, with two such titles in the last two years plus three more finals since 2021. The world No. 8 is 17-7 on hard courts in 2024, while Etcheverry is much more comfortable on clay, with a 3-4 hard-court record this year and 14-23 mark on the surface in his career. Rublev's significant edge in power off the ground and free points on serve should allow him to control play throughout against an opponent ranked 30 spots below him.
Honorable Mention
Liudmila Samsonova (-330) vs. Moyuka Uchijima
Canadian Open Tennis Predictions: Value Bets
Jelena Ostapenko (+140) vs. Paula Badosa
Badosa just won a title at the D.C. Open, but Ostapenko has a far superior body of work over the past couple years, which is why the Latvian has a 29-spot edge in the rankings at No. 11. Ostapenko reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon after making a pair of hard-court Grand Slam quarterfinals in 2023, and she has a 28-13 record in 2024, compared to Badosa's 22-13 mark. Ostapenko's power off the ground should help her knock Badosa off rhythm, and the No. 4 seed in this tournament should be viewed as a slight favorite in this match rather than the underdog. They have split four previous meetings, but only one of those has come since January of 2022, and Ostapenko won their most recent match last May.
Marta Kostyuk (+150) vs. Elina Svitolina
This battle between Ukrainian compatriots will be played on Kostyuk's terms, as she has the bigger game off the ground while Svitolina's rock-solid all around. Svitolina's the bigger name, but the 22-year-old Kostyuk, who is nearly eight years younger, has had a better season in 2024, which is why Kostyuk is ranked 14 spots ahead of Svitolina at No. 20. Both players are 23-13 in 2024, but Kostyuk has reached the Australian Open quarterfinals and Indian Wells semifinals, while Svitolina's quarterfinal run at Wimbledon marks the only time she has advanced past the Round of 16 at a tournament since before the Australian Open, so Kostyuk has shown a far higher ceiling in 2024, especially on hard courts.
Honorable Mention
Daria Kasatkina (-120) vs. Amanda Anisimova
