ATP Miami Open – Overview and Insights
Hubert Hurkacz is the reigning champion after winning the event last year, his first Masters 1000 trophy, and so he’ll be looking to defend his crown against a stacked field.
There will be no Rafael Nadal, though, after the Spaniard and 21-time Grand Slam winner opted to withdraw as he prepares himself for his favourite surface, as has former world number three Dominic Thiem, who lifted this trophy in 2019.
That pair join Novak Djokovic in being absent in Miami, with the Serbian ace ruled out in relation to his ongoing Covid stance.
However, both Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios have been handed Wild Cards, and so it promises to be a fascinating tournament from the first round onwards as the evenly matched and talented field battles to reach the latter stages.
Which are the Best Bookmakers for Betting on the 2022 ATP Miami Open
Bet365, SportNation, Paddy Power and William Hill all have an extensive range of betting markets with various promotions available.
While markets are largely similarly priced, there is great value to be had amongst the established bloc of bookmakers, with the ATP Miami Open offering up both daily and outright markets to find good value bets.
It’s certainly worth looking beyond the big names, though, as given the standing and prestige of this tournament, it will receive plenty of attention both in terms of media and betting, and so there won’t be a shortage of options on who to choose to place your bets with.
Which are Favourites in This Year’s ATP Miami Open
With no Djokovic or Nadal, it opens the tournament up to the rest of the field, with a string of the world’s top stars set to feature, barring any late withdrawals.
As he continues his battle to establish himself as the world’s number one, Daniil Medvedev will lead the pack, but his below-par showing in Indian Wells has allowed Djokovic to leapfrog him in the rankings as of next week. With the likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitipas, Matteo Berrettini and reigning champion Hurkacz all looking to secure silverware and a hefty cheque to end the month too, it’s tough to pick an outright favourite.
The winner of the tournament will likely come from that talented, youthful bunch, but the likes of Jannik Sinner, who reached the final last year, Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime will set their sights on upsetting the odds, as will the aforementioned Wild Cards, Murray and Kyrgios.
ATP Miami Open 2022 – Our Predictions
With one of Roger Federer, Murray or Djokovic winning this tournament in eight of the last 10 editions – with the Serbian star winning five of those titles – it goes to show how dominant they have been in Miami in recent years.
As they seemingly either fall away from the top of the tree or are absent in South Florida this time round, it opens the door for fresh blood, just as we saw with Hurkacz last year. That in turn makes it both unpredictable and fascinating in equal measure.
Medvedev fell in the Round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open, while the likes of Sinner, Kyrgios, Berrettini, Hurkacz, John Isner and Grigor Dimitrov all reached the Round of 16 which suggests they are in good form and are all in the mix for the deeper stages in Miami.
It will be key to see who emerges from that pack in good form as they make the trip over from the West Coast, as momentum could be crucial at this stage of the tour and those who have found their touch and are in a good place confidence wise will no doubt be itching to get back onto the court in Miami.
Medvedev (12-3) (bet365), Zverev (11-3) (bet365) and Andrey Rublev (14-2) (SportNation) have all been in good form in the calendar year and our winner could come from one of that trio based on the reasoning outlined above, while Sinner (11-2) (SportNation) is also looking dangerous and would be a worthy option too.
all reached the Round of 16 which suggests they are in good form and are all in the mix for the deeper stages in Miami.
ATP Miami Open Betting Tips and Strategy
The first place to start is picking your Outright Tournament Winner prior to a serve being sent crashing down the court, as you’ll get maximum value on a pick before he steadily makes his way through the rounds.
From that point onwards, it’s certainly worth monitoring and assessing how he’s fared in the early rounds to see if he’s simply blowing away the competition or just about making it through, and that’s when set betting, Over/Under and the like come into play.
Naturally, trying to predict more specific markets such as Set Score or the number of Aces in a set will prove to be trickier, but again, if the form and play of a particular player or two is monitored closely enough, it could give you a strong indication of how well they’re playing, or not playing, to assess if an upset is on the cards or if they are going to be too much for their next opponent.
In turn, picking an outright winner, looking for value in match winner markets to see not only if a favourite provides favourable odds but if an upset is a real possibility, and in-play on Set Betting and the like, should offer real value in Miami.
Best Markets for Betting on Tennis
Outright tournament winner, match winners, set betting and Total Games Over/Under tend to have great value, and with the closely-fought match-ups that we’re likely to see in Miami, especially in the latter rounds, they will come into play even more.
Whether it’s picking a winner once the draw is made or monitoring how strong a service game one of the favourites has and taking a punt on him blitzing his way to victory without dropping serve, there’s certainly viable options available.
Best Tennis Bonuses and Betting Sites
All the major bookmakers have ongoing bonuses and sign-up offers available, ranging from Bet £10 to Bet £50 and receive your special offer.
Depending on how much you wish to wager, there is no shortage of options that can be explored and ultimately used, and it will make a significant difference to the amount returned at the conclusion of the tournament if selected bets have gone your way.
About the Venue
Given the prize money on offer and the rather appealing environment of south Florida, the Miami Open is certainly one of the tournaments that easily attracts the top stars from around the world.
After 32 years at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, it was moved to the Hard Rock Stadium in 2019, with Federer becoming the first player to win it at its new home.
With a capacity of just under 14,000 on the main court, we can expect a raucous American crowd to attend having missed out in recent years due to restrictions, as well as travelling fans looking to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars.
ATP Miami Open Live Betting and Live-streaming Bookies
The Miami Open will be available for live betting and live streaming on a number of major bookmakers sites, including but not limited to Betfair and Bet365.
The available markets will offer a significant range, from match winner to individual set betting and game scoring, and so the bookies will provide various options for both pre-match and in-play punters.
Verdict
With some big names missing in Miami this year, it gives the rest of a talented, young field a chance to win big and head into the clay-court season on a real high.
Given their consistency and pedigree of winning big matches on big stages, those who currently sit in the top 10 and have been confirmed as being in the main draw in south Florida are of course the favourites ahead of the tournament.
However, just as we saw with Hurkacz and Sinner making the final last year, there are countless players on the fringes of the current top 10 who have the talent and are more than capable of showing real power on the court and brushing aside the competition.
Defending champion Hurkacz deserves a nod as a potential winner, as does Sinner who is going well again at Indian Wells this week. Whether or not Medvedev can regroup and get himself right for this run remains to be seen, while the same could be said of some other top names.
Then there’s the Wild Cards such as Murray and Kyrgios who would love nothing more than to upset the odds and make a deep run to put the favourites under pressure. Time will tell if they can deliver consistently over the course of a 12-day tournament as that is an obvious concern for the duo, but they’ll certainly be in the mix and receive plenty of attention from the first round.