posted August 16, 2007 at 16:37 in Tennis Articles

Cincinnati, Ohio – The bottom half of the draw – considered the tougher of the two - is more evenly matched up. The caliber of the players is more commensurate, and the odds are shorter. With tighter tennis lines to bet on tennis, handicapping the following matchups will be no easy task. Nevertheless, let’s take a stab at it and look at the tennis odds with BetUS.com Sportsbook.

Nikolay Davydenko -140 Tomas Berdych EV

Prediction: – Davydenko holds a 5-0 lifetime record over Tomas Berdych, making him an easy favorite in this matchup. At- 140, Davydenko is a good bet. Davydenko is not a typical winner of tournaments, but he is a usual third rounder or quarterfinalist and occasionally a semifinalist.

Berdych is one of those players lauded to have loads of potential, but save for a few flashes of brilliance he has yet to demonstrate it consistently - making him a slight risk.

However, with Davydenko slightly shaken up with rumors of a betting scandal, this may be a golden opportunity for Berdych to seize the match. Can he achieve this?

Tennis Free Pick: – Taking a chance, Berdych to notch his first victory over Davydenko in straight sets.

Juan Carlos Ferrero +105 James Blake -145

Prediction: –Trailing 0-3 in lifetime head-to-head records, a record comprised on grass and hard, No. 8 James Blake has yet to defeat No.17 Juan Carlos Ferrero.

This matchup is perhaps the most even in the third round. Both players are comparable statistically; Blake holds the slightest of edges with a few more wins and one ATP title this season.

In terms of betting on this match, this might be the case where betting on the favorite will prove to be the better play. Although Blake has yet to beat Ferrero, there is no better time than the present to notch his first victory. Blake has had a good US Open Series run. In Los Angeles he finished as the runner-up, in Indianapolis he went to the quarterfinals (lost to Sam Querrey) and at the Rogers Cup he lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the second round.

Ferrero on the other hand is participating in only his second US Open Series event - ironically he fell to Lleyton Hewitt in the first round of the Rogers Cup.

Blake holds all the cards in this match. Can he convert his advantage into the only thing that matters a victory?

Tennis Free Picks: – Blake in straight sets

Federer might be winning everything except clay these days, but with online sports betting in the BetUS.com Sportsbook, betting on tennis has never been so exciting! Join the BetUS.com online sportsbook today and start using the latest tennis lines, odds and props to earn cold, hard cash!

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