posted October 11, 2007 at 17:22 in Tennis Free Picks

Stockholm, Sweden – Two-time defending champion and top seed James Blake prepares to take on Canada’s Frank Dancevic in the second round of the IF Stockholm Open. James Blake is favored at -350 with BetUS Sportsbook.

Tennis Betting Line: James Blake -350 Frank Dancevic +225

Match Time: 02:30 PM EST

Tennis Prediction: No. 7 James Blake favored at -350 in this match up is a good bet for the victory. Blake brings into this match a 48/20 record, which includes two ATP titles –Sydney (hard) and New Haven (hard).

At the If Stockholm Open, his first tournament since the 2007 US Open, James Blake got off to a slow start. In the first round, Blake fought back from a set down to clinch the 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-3 victory against Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman. In defeating Bjorkman, Blake notched his 48th victory of the season and improved to 11-0 in Stockholm.

Blake has been in good form since the summer, winning 20 of 24 matches and winning his second ATP title of the season. Betting on Blake to continue his good form is a good play.

Betting on No.69 Frank Dancevic at +225 does hold value, but it is a riskier bet owing to Dancevic’s streakiness. On paper, there is not much to recommend. Dancevic brings a modest 18/17 record for the season. His best results this year came in the summer – a final appearance at Indianapolis and a quarterfinal appearance at the ATP Masters Series in Canada.

Dancevic has the arsenal of shots to be a solid player – possibly even a Top 30 player. However, he has yet to combine all the elements together into a concentrated game strategy. Instead, brief flashes of his potential are left to swill around in an unfocused game plan.

On the other hand, should Dancevic execute a focused game plan, he has the potential to upset Blake. His most notable result came this summer when he shocked Andy Roddick 6-4 7-6(1) in the semifinal at Indianapolis.

Can Dancevic do it again? The question is not whether he has the potential, but whether he has the right mental frame of mind to do it. After his two impressive results in the summer, Dancevic’s confidence waned, and in successive tournaments, he followed up with less than spectacular appearances – a first round exit at the 2007 US Open, a second round exit in Bangkok and a second round exit in Tokyo.

The sound bet in this match up would be to bet on James Blake. However, the ingredients for an upset exist and although the possibility is slim, taking the odds makers bait and banking on the underdog is simply too irresistible.

Tennis Free Pick: Dancevic in three 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.