Are you having a gooooooooood time watching Wimbledon? Hopefully, it’s been more enjoyable than what Novak Djokovic experienced Monday night at Centre Court, where he chastised the crowd for disrespecting him after his fourth-round win over Holger Rune. An irritated Djokovic wished the boo birds a “gooooooooood night.”
Despite the insults — real or imagined — the tennis at the All England Club has been riveting. The wagering just hasn’t been rewarding.
With the tournament moving into the quarterfinals, the matches are getting more serious. My picks need to measure up. Perhaps pragmatism is the solution.
Just don’t diss me if I fail.
The pick — Two-leg parlay: Carlos Alcaraz ML, Emma Navarro to win first set and match (+117, DraftKings)
- DraftKings offer: Bet $5 and get $150 in Bonus Bets
Carlos Alcaraz ML vs. Tommy Paul. Alcaraz, the defending champion and No. 3 seed, faces the 12th-seeded American on Tuesday. They have met four times previously, all on hard courts, and Paul has played the Spaniard tough, winning twice in three-set victories. Paul’s gritty play against Alcaraz figures to resurface in this quarterfinal, despite the set betting market favoring a straight-sets win by the Spaniard. The 3-0 Alcaraz sets prop (+160) is enticing, but he has not been dominant. He is coming off two challenging victories, outlasting Francis Tiafoe in five sets and Ugo Humbert in four. However, the Alcaraz moneyline bet (-400) is a sensible first leg.
Emma Navarro to win first set and match vs. Jasmine Paolini. It’s no longer hype. Navarro has been the real deal this fortnight, defeating Naomi Osaka and upsetting No. 2 seed Coco Gauff in straight sets, and the former Virginia star has lost just one set so far against college rival Diana Shnaider. The seventh-seeded Paolini is another tough test, but the 19th-seeded Navarro is 3-0 lifetime against the Italian, winning six of the seven sets. And in reaching her first major quarterfinal, Navarro — a -185 favorite to beat Paolini — has won the first set in all four of her matches at Wimbledon.
Tennis record: 4-4, -0.69 units