Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are scheduled to face off on Tuesday at 4:10 a.m. in the Australian Open Grand Slam Quarterfinals. This will be their third meeting on hard courts, with Djokovic holding a 2-0 lead in their previous encounters.
Alcaraz is the favorite with a -200 moneyline, and the total match games are set at 39. While these odds are intriguing, I’ve found a more appealing option for this early Australian Open showdown.
Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz Expert Pick
The Australian Open has been an action-packed event thus far with upsets and superior play. The 7-ranked player in the World, Novak Djokovic, takes on the number 3-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz in the Quarterfinals. They are very familiar and have had some great matches between them. They have played each other eight times and have split the series 4-4.
Novak is 2-0 against Alcaraz on hard courts and has dominated so far in the Open. He is seeking his 25th major and will want to continue his dominance on hard courts.
I think the slow courts favor him against Alcaraz and will grind the Spaniard down. Alcaraz has made quick work of his opponents being on the courts for a little over seven hours while Novak has been on the courts for 11 hours.
In addition, I see another long-lasting battle between these two and believe this should go five sets. Novak is a current +170 'dog on the moneyline but +1.5 Sets have tremendous value tonight. I’ll be locking that in with confidence and expect Novak to handle business in the end.
My Pick: Novak Djokovic +1.5 Sets