2022 Indian Wells Open Best Bets: Wide-Open Field Favors Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka

Eric Uribe
By , Updated on: Sep 4, 2022 08:00 PM
2022 Indian Wells Open Best Bets: Wide-Open Field Favors Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka

Now that we're officially in the middle of March, the online tennis betting options are once again heating up. From hereon, there is now one, if not two, major tournaments scheduled per month. And with a run date of Thursday, March 10 through Sunday, March 20, the 2022 Indian Wells Open is currently at the forefront of all things tennis.

There is, of course, a caveat to this year's tournament. Neither the men's (Novak Djokovic) nor women's (Ashleigh Barty) world No. 1 players are expected to partake in their respective brackets. Things can always change, but as of now, their presumed absences pave the way for plenty of names to step up. Our 2022 Indian Wells Open best bets will seek to find the most likely winners as a result of the adjusted field. 

Before we do anything else, though, let's first study the latest 2022 Indian Wells Open betting odds. We'll start with the men's bracket:

Pick to WinBetOnlineBovada
Novak Djokovic+200+185
Rafael Nadal+275+350
Daniil Medvedev+275+400
Alexander Zverev+800+700
Stefanos Tsitisipas+900+900
Andrey Rublev+1500+2800
Calros Alcaraz+1700+2800
Felix Auger-Aliassime+2000+2000
Jannik Sinner+2500+3300
Matteo Berrettini+2500+3300

These Indian Wells Open odds are accurate entering the start of the tournament on March 10. That said, the first couple of days are dedicated to the round of 64 qualifying matches, so you'll watch to check the latest betting odds for tennis rather frequently to make sure nothing has changed.

You should also be giving yourself some time to go through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. Our ratings of each destination take into account every last detail, which should make it easy for you to find the best 2022 Indian Wells Open betting sites.

Should You Steer Clear of Novak Djokovic Betting Odds

Unlike Ashleigh Barty in the women's bracket, Novak Djokovic (+200) still qualifies as a bettings odds option for the 2022 Indiana Wells tournament. This is because he's not slated to miss the festivities with injury. Instead, his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine puts his eligibility to participate in jeopardy, just like it did ahead of the 2022 Australian Open.

It still won't hurt to roll the dice on The Joker re-entering the fold at the last minute. Most sportsbooks will count your wager as a push and refund your money if he doesn't partake at all. And let's face it, you're unlikely to get him at 2-to-1 odds if not for the uncertainty surrounding his vaccination status.

This isn't to say he's your safest bet. But we'd still prefer him to options like Carlos Alcaraz (+1700) and Andre Rublev (+1500).

Novak Djokovic To win the 2022 Indian Wells Open
+200
BetOnline

2022 Indian Wells Open: Pick to Win Men's Bracket

Bettors tend to steer clear of Rafael Nadal (+275) when he's playing on harder surfaces—specifically those made from Plexipave material, like the one used at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. And there's some merit to that methodology. His serve isn't nearly eruptive enough to capitalize on the quick-twitch bounce.

For most, the hard-hitting Daniil Medvedev (+275) and Alexander Zverev (+800) will loom as better bets. That's not true for us.

Consistency matters just as much as power over the longer haul, and many of the men's singles players in this tournament struggle to win points when they don't get their first serves in. Trust experience and an even-keeled playing style from Nadal—who, by the way, is as healthy as he's been in a while.

OSB Prediction: Rafael Nadal (+275)

Rafael Nadal To win the 2022 Indian Wells Open
+275
BetOnline

Is Paula Badosa Capable of Repeating as Women's Champion at 2022 Indiana Wells Open?

Here are the latest odds to win the women's singles bracket at the 2022 Indian Wells Open:

Pick to WinBetOnlineBovada
Iga Swiatek+550+600
Anett Kontaveit+850+900
Aryna Sabalenka+1100+1400
Naomi Osaka+1100+1000
Simona Halep+1100+1000
Paula Badosa Gibert+1400+1400
Maria Sakkari+1400+1600
Jelena Ostapenko+1600+1800
Garbine Muguruza+1700+2500
Barbora Krejcikova+1700+2500

After taking home the trophy last year, Paula Badosa (+1400) enters with almost afterthought odds in 2022. And we have to say, this seems a little harsh.

Badosa currently has a No. 7 world ranking among all women's singles players. She has traditionally struggled to crack the finals of major tournaments, making last year something of an anomaly. But she's gradually starting to dominate on offense. 

To wit: Badosa is dropping in 67 percent of her first serves and winning roughly two-thirds of all her service games this year. At the end of a day, she's a threat in our book.

Paula Badosa To win the 2022 Indian Wells Open
+200
BetOnline

2022 Indian Wells Open: Pick to Win Women's Bracket

Repeat champs are tough to forecast when they're not household names, so we'll have to pass on Badosa this time around. Both Simona Halep (+1100) and Anett Kontaveit (+850) catch our eye, but neither has the track record on Plexipave surfaces to evoke the most confidence.

Naomi Osaka (+1100) is the best option in our opinion.

Sure, she took some time away from the game, missing enough time to forfeit her world ranking. But we know how dominant she is when fully locked in. Almost no one else is winning a higher percentage of their service games (88.9 percent), and she continues to put the ball in play on nearly 80 percent of her first serves in general.

OSB Prediction: Naomi Osaka (+1100)

Naomi Osaka To win the 2022 Indian Wells Open
+1100
BetOnline

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your tennis betting this season:

Meet the author

Eric Uribe

Eric has been passionate about sports since he was 10 years old. He brings over 10 years of sports journalism experience to his expert coverage of sports betting. Hailing from the US, Eric leverages his diverse expertise covering sports at all levels – from high sch...

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