2024 Australian Open Best Bets – Day 6
The 2023 tennis season feels like it ended just yesterday, but the 2024 Australian Open is here. There’s going to be tons of high-level action in Melbourne Park over the next few weeks, and that presents all sorts of opportunities for bettors. Throughout the course of the 2024 tennis season, VSiN will have you covered with daily best bet write-ups for some of the biggest events of the year. That starts with the 2024 Australian Open, and we’re tackling the action for January 18 and 19 here. Keep reading for all of my best bets and check back throughout the day. I’ll add some plays if I see some numbers I like later on.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts are betting!
2024 Record: 27-21 (+7.88 units)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Novak Djokovic
It’s never easy to bet against Djokovic at the Australian Open, but it helps when you’re not betting on him to lose a match. I’m simply playing Etcheverry to win a single set here, and it’s mostly because I think these odds are too good to pass up. Etcheverry has just looked phenomenal in Melbourne thus far, as he dusted Andy Murray in the first round and followed it up with a straight-set win over Gael Monfils. And while his Randy Orton-esque “legend killer” run could end here, I like him to push Djokovic at least a little. Djokovic has already dropped a set in both of the matches he has played this tournament, and he hasn’t looked like his usual dominant self. Apparently the 24-time Grand Slam champion is dealing with an illness, and that has impacted him quite a bit. Well, this version of Etcheverry will be tough to beat if Djokovic is less than 100%. The Argentinean is serving well and is locked in from the baseline. He also keeps getting better and better as a hard-court player.
Bet: Etcheverry +2.5 Sets (+145)
Tomas Machac vs. Karen Khachanov
Machac has come out firing at the Australian Open, as he is through to the third round and hasn’t dropped a single set. That’s especially impressive considering he faced Frances Tiafoe in the second round. Tiafoe is a tough player to beat, but he’s an even harder player to blow out. So, that performance said a lot about where Machac’s game is right now. And overall, I just think this is a tough draw for Khachanov. The Russian had a lot of trouble in his opening-round win over Daniel Altmaier, and things weren’t easy against Aleksandar Kovacevic either. Khachanov just hasn’t looked sharp since the early portion of the 2023 season, and injuries have played a big role in that. But regardless of the reason, he’ll need to be at his absolute best in order to beat Machac. And I just don’t see him reaching the level necessary here. Machac is a tricky guy to play against because of his shot variety and unique approach to the game. If the Czech is serving well here, he should advance.
Bet: Machac ML (+150)
Alycia Parks vs. Coco Gauff
Parks had to work hard for her three-set win over Daria Snigur in the first round of the Australian Open, and she then earned another tough win in the second round. So, things haven’t been perfect, but her serve is the reason I’m interested in backing her against Gauff. There’s no denying that Gauff is the better all-around player here, but Parks’ hold percentage is up at 83.3% in this tournament. It’s obviously a very small sample size, but she has a booming first serve. In fact, she’s one of the few players in the women’s game with the potential to be called a servebot. Parks also happens to have serious weapons from the baseline, so it’s not like she’s one dimensional. The issue with Parks is that she can be rather erratic, so her bad days are really bad. But I think it’s crazy to see somebody with her skill set at +300 to win a set. If she puts her head down and hits her spots with her serve, she’ll have opportunities to put a dent in the scoreboard.
Bet: Parks +1.5 Sets (+300 – 0.5 units)
