Posted on 4/24/2008 5:30:56 PM

ATP Tennis Betting - Masters Series - Davydenko vs. Andreev

By Nila Amerova

Monte Carlo, Monaco – The first major clay court event of the season is currently underway with the ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo. As the tournament takes one-step closer towards reaching its final stage, there is profit to be made in tennis betting, especially as the line-up of matches received in the quarterfinal today serves up some of the tours best players. One such player is the unassuming Nikolay Davydenko of Russia who set up a scintillating matchup with fellow Russian Igor Andreev. So as the online tennis betting community at BetUS Sportsbook follows the tournament towards its conclusion, the following is an approach to the tennis betting market for the matchup between Davydenko vs. Andreev in the final eight at the ATP Masters Series in Monte Carlo.

Tennis Betting Line: Igor Andreev +170 Nikolay Davydenko -220

Match Time: 04:00 AM Eastern Time, Friday April 25, 2008

Tennis Prediction: World No.4 Nikolay Davydenko holds a level record against No.32 Igor Andreev, tied at 1-1. Davydenko holds the most recent victory over fellow Russian, Andreev, with a 7-5, 7-5 quarterfinal triumph in Moscow last year. Andreev’s only victory over Davydenko came in 2003 at Bucharest (clay) in the R32 7-5 6-7(1) 6-0.

Davydenko -220 At -220 odds, Davydenko is carefully nestled on the favourite side of the money line. Not a steep favourite, in spite of ranking in the Top 5 and boasting an enviable 26-6 mark for the year, which includes lifting the Sony Ericsson Open title and a runner-up finish in his season debut on clay at the Estoril Open last week. So why is the No.1 Russian served up at such a price tag? Is there some confidence in his opponent, Andreev, tennis bettors should take heed of that would depreciate Davydenko’s value thus?

Andreev +170 Inauspiciously set as the underdog on the money line, Andreev does hold value, and offers bettors, especially underdog hopefuls, a good angle for profit. Why, you ask? Because Andreev’s edge lies in his clay court game. Betting on Andreev to orchestrate the upset will payout nigh two-fold! A bettor who risks $100 on Andreev stands to win $170 and receive his original wager back. So the question is can Andreev upset Davydenko?

It is open to debate how much credence we should give Andreev’s clay court game, but when the bookies have taken stock by setting him as a delicate underdog, is that a sign that tennis bettors should take the odds makers bait and risk on Andreev.

Things to consider before wagering on this match is the fact that Andreev is coming off a dramatic R16 battle over Nicolas Almagro, where he needed eight match points to defeat the Spaniard 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Andreev arrives in his first-ever quarterfinal in Monte Carlo, but while tomorrow’s match may be huge for the Russian at this event, he was a quarterfinalist at the ATP Masters Series in Miami (l. to Berdych) and his experience on the big stage, in spite of his loss, will go a long way to help him against Davydenko. Finally, the dynamic of an all-Russian affair can shift the balance of a match entirely against the betting market trend. So while I expect few bettors to bet against the favorite Davydenko, I would wager on Andreev. First, his clay court game is better than Davydenko’s (after all, he bested one of several exceptional clay court players in the form of Nicolas Almagro). Second, because of the Russian dynamic of the match (typically when players face a higher-ranked compatriot, they tend to raise the level of their game opponent striving to best a player who has set a national benchmark).

Tennis Free Picks: Andreev in three sets

So there you have it, a nice short break down for you of some of the exciting tennis betting options available at BetUS Sportsbook. Now that you are all read up, you are ready to start betting on tennis!

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room.