This article is part of our Tennis Picks series.
The second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells begins Friday, as seeded players will begin to take the court after first-round byes against opponents who won their first-round matches. A couple of unseeded Americans could be poised to notch significant wins over seeded opponents, while a rising WTA star will look to build on her recent success, and head-to-head history suggests an upset could be brewing on the men's side. 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, like North Carolina, where you can take advantage of exclusive betting promos.
All matches at the BNP Paribas Open are best of three sets, which is the case for all ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 level tournaments. 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.
Indian Wells Picks: Upset Alert
Bernarda Pera (+270) vs. Marketa Vondrousova
Vondrousova has battled a hip injury in recent months, and the 2023 Wimbledon champion hasn't managed to recapture the form that helped her win that maiden Grand Slam title, with a 4-10 record in her last 14 matches. Both Vondrousova and Pera have had their best results on surfaces other than hard courts, but Pera has had the opportunity to adjust to these conditions, while Vondrousova will be going in cold coming off a bye. Pera got into the main draw the hard way through qualifying before beating Daria Saville in the first round, and the American should feel comfortable in clutch situations after surviving a pair of third-set tiebreaks just to reach this point.
Yannick Hanfmann (+175) vs. Tallon Griekspoor
Hanfmann's just 5-7 on the year and prefers to play on clay, but his favorable history against Griekspoor should give Hanfmann confidence despite being ranked 30 spots back at No. 57. Hanfmann has dominated their head-to-head, though both previous matchups came on clay. The German won both in straight sets, serving up a 6-0 bagel in each match. The slow Indian Wells courts play about as close to clay as it gets for hard courts.
Honorable Mention
Mai Hontama (+380) vs. Marta Kostyuk
Indian Wells Odds: Lock It In
Jasmine Paolini (-280) vs. Tatjana Maria
Paolini is playing the best tennis of her career and is coming off a breakthrough result, having won her first career WTA 1000 title in Dubai in February after reaching the Australian Open Round of 16 in January. While the 14th-ranked Italian is peaking at age 28, the 36-year-old Maria has seen better days. Maria's 7-7 record this year includes five losses to players ranked outside the top 75, as well as a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Paolini at the Australian Open.
Frances Tiafoe (-290) vs. Dusan Lajovic
Tiafoe plays his best tennis when he's feeding off the energy of an American crowd, and he rode that energy to the semifinals here last year. The world No. 18 is off to a mediocre start in 2024, but he has a nice opportunity to find his groove against a player who hasn't troubled Tiafoe since he was a teenager. Lajovic beat a 19-year-old Tiafoe at this tournament back in 2017, but the big-serving American has won all four of their subsequent meetings. The 33-year-old Serb prefers clay and has an unimpressive 82-121 career hard-court record.
Honorable Mention
Alexander Zverev (-575) vs. Christopher O'Connell
Indian Wells Predictions: Value Bets
Brandon Nakashima (+110) vs. Jiri Lehecka
Nakashima's rebuilding his ranking back towards his career high of 43, and a wild card entry here could help spark Nakashima's comeback from a 2023 knee injury, as this is his first main draw event in 2024. After beating countryman Christopher Eubanks in the first round, the San Diego native gets a nice opportunity to extend his run against a vulnerable seed. Lehecka has struggled lately, posting a 4-4 record in his last eight matches, with only two of those wins coming against top-100 opponents. The No. 32 seed retired from his last match in Dubai a week ago, so there are questions about Lehecka's health heading into this tournament as well.
Emma Raducanu (-115) vs. Dayana Yastremska
Raducanu played well in her 6-2, 6-3 first-round win over Rebeka Masarova, as the former U.S. Open champion finally looks healthy and confident again. Yastremska reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, but she's just 2-4 in her last six matches while winning only five of 15 sets over that span. Raducanu won the only previous meeting between these two, and the talented Brit is still just 21 years old.
Honorable Mention
Francisco Cerundolo (+115) vs. Alexander Shevchenko
