Australian Open Day 3 WTA Betting Odds & Picks: Two for Tuesday in Melbourne

It's not the most appetizing card on the women's side for Day 3 of the Australian Open, but I did find a pair worth betting. (I also have one Round 1 bet pending from yesterday, but the line has moved about 60 cents).

Below I will detail my two favorite WTA bets for Tuesday at the 2020 Australian Open, hitting on the following matchups:

  • Shuai Zhang vs. Caty McNally (7 p.m. ET)
  • Ons Jabeur vs. Caroline Garcia (8:15 p.m. ET)

All odds as of Tuesday morning.

Tournament Record: 5-2 +4.5


Shuai Zhang -205 vs. Caty McNally 

Both players had impressive wins on Monday. Zhang came back to beat Sloane Stephens and played a very high level over the final two sets. Meanwhile, McNally ran through Sam Stosur but will see a step up in quality today.

Neither player possesses a ton of power, but each keeps the ball in play in order to beat their opponents with angles and depth. This should portend to a closer match of two players with similar games.

Also, both arrive in Melbourne with confidence after showing some solid form to star the season. As a result, I don't expect either to get too down if they drop a few games in a row, which is important for an over on the women's side.

McNally does have an edge at the net, which makes her an intriguing option as a sizable underdog. However, Zhang has the superior serve, routinely getting  above 60% of her first serves in, while McNally hovers in the 57% range.

Like most WTA matches, both struggle with their second serve, so the first-serve percentage will be key.

I think there’s a great chance this goes three sets (+180 is available), but a 7-6 6-3 Zhang win wouldn't surprise me, so I'll roll with the Over 21 games instead.

Pick: Over 21 Games

[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]


Ons Jabeur -130 vs. Caroline Garcia

In a second round full of large favorites, Jabeur vs Garcia marks one of the few priced close to a coin flip.

Both players have started 2020 on different trajectories. Garcia has been in a tailspin ever since the grass swing last season. She has gone just 7-14 since Wimbledon. And her only win over top 50 competition came against Daria Kasatkina (perhaps the only top 50 player in worse form than Garcia).

Jabeur isn’t the most consistent player on Tour, but she has the ability to string together results. Her game is visually pleasing, combining power and craftiness. She can have issues with unforced errors though, as her play is very volatile.

However, in her first match, she reigned her game in against an unfit Johanna Konta. Jabeur only hit two doubles faults and 12 unforced errors overall. That clean tennis is a good sign moving forward in this tournament.

Garcia had a tough, three-set win versus an overmatched Madison Brengle. She hit plenty of winners and eventually destroyed Brengle’s weak serve late in the match. For almost every return point from the second set on, Garcia seemingly stood 2-3 feet inside the baseline, even on first serve returns. She won’t have that same luxury against a more powerful and better-serving Jabeur.

In their only head-to-head matchup, Jabeur won a comfortable 7-6, 6-2 match at last year’s US Open, so she should feel good about her chances here. And a comfortable first-round victory over a top 15 player in Konta certainly won't hurt her confidence.

Ultimately, I think Jabeur has the edge in form and ability. I have Jabeur priced as a –135 favorite and would even play her a bit past that number considering the recent form of both players.

Pick: Ons Jabeur -130

[Bet now at FanDuel. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]

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