2020 US Open Men’s Singles Odds & Betting Preview: Djokovic Enters as Odds-On -125 Favorite
By Stephanie Myles in Tennis
Published:
- Novak Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite at this year’s US Open
- It’s the first time since 1999 that both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are missing a Slam. 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka, Gaël Monfils, Nick Kyrgios and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are the other top-50 players that are MIA
- Read our preview and best bet for the US Open Men’s Singles below
When Novak Djokovic arrived inside the US Open bubble, he promptly pulled out of his first-round doubles match because of a sore neck.
A few days in, the odds-on favorite to win the 2020 US Open was looking like the world No. 1 player he is.
But the brief scare begged the question: if not Djokovic, who else?
US Open Men’s Singles Odds
| Seed | Player | Odds at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | -125 |
| [3] | Daniil Medvedev (RUS) | +500 |
| [4] | Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) | +650 |
| [2] | Dominic Thiem (AUT) | +850 |
| [5] | Alexander Zverev (GER) | +2200 |
| [25] | Milos Raonic (CAN) | +2200 |
| [10] | Andrey Rublev (RUS) | +2900 |
| [8] | Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) | +4500 |
| [12] | Denis Shapovalov (CAN) | +5000 |
| [21] | Alex de Minaur (AUS) | +6500 |
| – | Andy Murray (GBR) | +6500 |
| [6] | Matteo Berrettini (ITA) | +6500 |
| [11] | Karen Khachanov (RUS) | +8000 |
| [31] | Marin Cilic (CRO) | +8000 |
| [7] | David Goffin (BEL) | +11000 |
| [15] | Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) | +11000 |
| [26] | Filip Krajinovic (SRB) | +11000 |
| [14] | Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) | +11000 |
| [28] | Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) | +11000 |
| [16] | John Isner (USA) | +11000 |
Odds from Aug. 27
Two Other US Open Champions in the Field
There are two other former US Open champions in the field.
One is 2014 champion Marin Cilic, the No. 31 seed this year. He lost his opening match in the Western & Southern Open this week in straight sets to Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
The other is Andy Murray, who won in 2012. But Murray is ambling around with a metal hip. His victory is just coming back to the US Open on the strength of his own ranking.
Living legends.
Bob & Mike Bryan have called time on their incredible careers 👏@Bryanbrothers @bryanbros
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 27, 2020
The Thiem Conundrum
Of all the (relative) youngsters, 26-year-old Dominic Thiem is expected to be the “next”. A French Open finalist the last two years, he reached his first major final on a hard court in Australia in January.
@dieschwartzman was asking for some extra balls for practice 🎾@usopen pic.twitter.com/tSEfuY5J5E
— Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) August 20, 2020
After playing a whopping 28 exhibition matches during the tennis shutdown, the Austrian wasn’t short of match play. But, put up a major stinker in his opener on the US Open courts this week.
Thiem got just three games against unseeded Filip Krajinovic He won just TWO points on Krajinovic’s serve – neither of them on his second serve.
“I mean, it was just a horrible game by myself. Didn’t play well at all,” Thiem said.
He likes the conditions in New York, Thiem said; his best result came in 2018 when he lost in a fifth-set tiebreak to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
But at this stage, and with the outer courts generally viewed as being fairly quick, he seems overvalued. He has a tough potential quarterfinal in the underrated Roberto Bautista Agut.
Round of 16 Matchups – On Paper
- [1] Djokovic vs. [16] Isner
- [12] Shapovalov vs. [7] Goffin
- [4] Tsitsipas vs. [13] Garin
- [9] Schwartzman vs. [5] Zverev
- [6] Berrettini vs. [10] Rublev
- [14] Dimitrov vs. [3] Medvedev
- [8] Bautista Agut vs. [11] Khachanov
- [15] Auger-Aliassime vs. [2] Thiem
Odds in Djokovic Grand Slam Victories
| Grand Slam Tournament Wins | Opening Odds |
|---|---|
| 2020 Australian Open | +150 |
| 2019 Wimbledon | +150 |
| 2019 Australian Open | +120 |
| 2018 US Open | -110 |
| 2018 Wimbledon | -500 |
| 2016 French Open | -125 |
| 2016 Australian Open | -120 |
| 2015 US Open | +110 |
It’s been two years since Djokovic has been the odds-on favorite at any Grand Slam. Not that it has stopped him from winning plenty of them.
This year, it feels particularly appropriate.
Longshots Worth Taking a Shot On
If not Djokovic, whom?
Well, every potential dark horse has his challenges.
Outside Picks All Have Issues
| Player | Odds | Questions to Ponder |
|---|---|---|
| Roberto Bautista Agut | +4500 | Always undervalued, rarely underestimated by his peers, he could stand firm if others falter. With Thiem, Khachanov and Auger-Aliassime in his quarter, watch out. |
| John Isner | +11000 | At 35, not many chances left to win his “home” Slam. An early quarter-final in 2011 gave hope. Then he lost to …Philipp Kohlschreiber three straight years. His problem? Djokovic in the 4th round |
| Daniil Medvedev | +650 | Medvedev’s odds are based largely on his 2019 performances in North America, not his 2020 so far. On the plus side, he’s in the opposite half of the draw to Djokovic. |
| Andy Murray | +6500 | A sentimental favorite, to be sure. But seven best-of-five set matches on a metal hip? It would be the greatest sporting feat in a long time. |
| Milos Raonic | +2200 | The Canadian’s serve will get him a lot of places – New York always seemed promising. Unlike Melbourne, Flushing has never been his place. He’s never even made the quarters. But he has looked REALLY good. |
| Andrey Rublev | +2900 | This mercurial talent could make hay on the fast courts with his raw power. But seven best-of-five set matches without his brain being set on fire? Unlikely |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | +1000 | It could be his time. And he looks to have a clear path to the semis given the seeds in his section. He might be better off having to face Djokovic in the semis, rather than the final. |
Prediction: He could be tested by Isner, Tsitsipas or Shapovalov. But unless he falls down – literally, or the neck issue he’s been dealing with this week really becomes a thing – Djokovic (-125) will get No. 18.
Underdog picks: Tsitsipas (+650) and Raonic (+2200) – if his body holds up.
Sports Writer
Stephanie gets the straight dope from the tennis insiders. On court, she has represented her country internationally. A BA in journalism led to years on the MLB beat and a decade covering tennis globally. She's written for Postmedia, the Guardian, the New York Times and also publishes OpenCourt.ca.
