The second round of Wimbledon is set to conclude on a busy Thursday at the All England Club, with plenty of matches scheduled for Wednesday yet to be played.
There are two matches that catch my eye as we get things started, and in both cases, I think a highly ranked favorite is in a world of trouble.
Here are my expert Wimbledon betting picks for Hurkacz – Fils and Fritz – Rinderknech.
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Thursday Wimbledon Predictions
Hubert Hurkacz (-350) vs Arthur Fils (+270)
6 a.m. ET
Arthur Fils isn't your prototypical grass-court player, and that goes double when you take into consideration that he grew up playing on clay courts in France. With that said, the surface does help his low shots move through the court a bit quicker, helping him shore up one of the weaknesses in his game.
With a bit more zip on the ball, Fils can take his excellent defense and rally tolerance and create a fruitful marriage that can work on the turf. He looked pretty solid against big-hitting lefty Dominic Stricker in the first round, as he extended a ton of rallies and to pass a rather tricky first test.
That makes him 4-2 for the grass-court season, and now he'll meet Hubert Hurkacz — a former semifinalist at this tournament (2021).
Hurkacz has done a ton of winning in the past few seasons to maintain a top-10 ranking in the world, but he's hardly done any at the Grand Slam level. He's only twice moved past the fourth round of a slam, and even here — on his beloved grass — he was bounced by Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina in the first round a couple of years ago.
I don't see Hurkacz as an overly terrifying opponent, particularly for a player with the Fils' confidence. He's quickly figuring out grass and I think he'll dig his teeth into this encounter.
Pick: Fils +4.5 Games (-125 via DraftKings)
Taylor Fritz (-1200) vs Arthur Rinderknech (+800)
9:30 a.m. ET
This matchup may not offer much in terms of name value, but it's certainly one you should have your eyes glued to on Thursday.
That's because the only meeting between these two, which came at last year's French Open, was a highly contentious affair with the Rindernech's home fans behind him. There was no love lost between the two, so I think emotions will be running high for both men Thursday.
A match like that is generally where the World No. 76 shines. Rinderknech came over to the states years ago to play college tennis at Texas A&M, and in the handful of impressive runs he's made, he's showcased an incredible competitive spirit. In the other weeks of the year, we've seen poor body language and a player who seems to be giving up on himself.
Anyway, as it pertains to the actual tennis, I think Rinderknech is a man we can't look past on grass. He's done a ton of winning on fast, indoor hardcourts throughout his career and has the pop to really make life difficult on his opponents — even one as solid as Fritz.
The American's been on fire this grass season, and came through in impressive fashion against Chris O'Connell in the first round, but Thursday's match is going to be a war. In a cagey affair between two big servers, I'll go with the over.
Pick: Over 35.5 Games (-115)
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