“The Sunshine Double” has started with qualifiers for the Indian Wells in California underway. Both the men's and women’s tournament stretches until March 19 when a champion is crowned. This event will be followed by the Miami Open, hence the “sunshine” moniker joining the two tourneys. You’re going to want to capitalize on the betting opportunities ahead with our top bets to win the Indian Wells. We have free picks to make on both the men’s and women’s sides.
2023 Indian Wells - Men’s Tourney Pick
The men’s odds for the Indian Wells are in a scramble after Novak Djokovic withdrew from playing on Monday — two days before the round of 128 was set to begin. The U.S. forced his hand because it still requires non-citizens to be vaccinated against COVID, which he is famously not. The rule is set to go away in May and Djokovic was trying to secure an exemption, which he failed to do so. With Djokovic out of the equation, there's the outright Indian Wells odds to win on the men’s bracket:
| Player |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | +165 | +165 | +165 |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Jannik Sinner | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Taylor Fritz | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
Djokovic would’ve likely been pegged the favorite by the top tennis betting sites. He is the number-one-ranked player in the world after all. Taking his spot as the top betting contender is Medvedev. Heck, some bettors might argue the Russian should’ve been the favorite regardless since he eliminated Djokovic in the Dubai Tennis Championships last week during the semi-finals.
Medvedev’s favorable odds are also enhanced because Rafael Nadal is not making the trip to the United States. He remains hobbled by injury and is not expected to play again until April at the earliest. Not only that, but Carlos Alcaraz is also not exactly fit. The Spaniard is in California, but at what capacity is the real question. Alcaraz withdrew from the Mexican Open in Acapulco a week ago due to a hamstring injury. A lack of fitness has slowed down the young prodigy for multiple months now.
To us, Medvedev is the clear-cut pick to make — and honestly, we might’ve said that even if Novak had been allowed to play and Alcaraz was at 100 percent health-wise. That’s because Medvedev has been the best men’s player of 2023 so far. After winning last week’s Dubai title, he’s won three consecutive tournaments since the Australian Open (Rotterdam and Qatar Open too). All three events of which came on hardcourts, which is what awaits in California.
It’s not just that Medvedev is winning too, it’s how he’s doing so. The Russian didn’t lose a single set last week, including against Djokovic and Andrey Rublev. The hardcourts have always been Medvedev’s specialty, but even more so now. He’s a must-make betting pick going into the Indian Wells.
2023 Indian Wells - Women’s Tourney Pick
There’s a lot less uncertainty in the women’s bracket. Of the top-20-ranked female players in the world, 19 will be competing at Indian Wells. The only absence from that group is No. 19-ranked Simona Halep, as she remains suspended for allegedly doping. Here's a look at the current odds, we’ve listed only the top women’s players favored to win the Indian Wells:
| Player | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iga Swiatek | +150 | +150 | +150 |
| Arnya Sabalenka | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Elena Rybakina | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Jessica Pegula | +1250 | +1250 | +1250 |
| Barbora Krejcikova | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Belina Bencic | +1500 | +1500 | +1500 |
We’ll be upfront and say Swiatek is not our top bet to make. It was this time a year ago that she started her ascend as the world’s best female player. She won the Sunshine Double and Ash Barty retired during March 2022. But Swiatek hasn’t been nearly as dominant in 2023 as in 2022 and history is against repeat winners here (the last female to do it was Martina Navratilova in 1991).
Instead, our money is going squarely on Sabalenka. Like our men’s pick, she is also red-hot this season. The 2023 Australian Open champion is 13-1 this year, that 92.9 winning percentage is the highest on the tour so far. While Indian Wells has not been kind to Sabalenka in the past, she’s playing with a different edge in 2023, hence why Sabalenka is our go-to bet.
How To Watch 2023 Indian Wells On TV?
Officially, the Indian Wells is dubbed the BNP Paribas Open due to sponsorship reasons. So keep that in mind when flipping for it on television. Speaking of which, Indian Wells will be exclusively carried on TV by The Tennis Channel in the United States. The network will air both events in their entirety, coverage that easily crosses 100 hours.
For cord-cutters, there’s also the Tennis Chanel Plus app. This allows you to stream the event even if you don’t have a regular TV subscription. All Indian Wells games will be readily available on TC Plus.
How To Bet On 2023 Indian Wells?
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