posted June 11, 2008 at 16:53 EST in Tennis Free Picks

Halle, Germany – At the close of second round tennis betting today, defending champion Tomas Berdych – a ridiculously talented yet equally inconsistent player – was ousted, along with Mischa Zverev and Benjamin Becker and Tommy Haas. Through to the quarterfinal was American James Blake, Robin Soderling of Sweden, Andreas Beck and Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. With the top half, which includes Roger Federer, still to play through the second round on Thursday, June 12 2008, here is a look at some of the sports betting action currently available at BetUS Sportsbook, complete with tennis odds, predictions and free picks.

Tennis Betting Line: Steve Darcis +190 Michael Llodra -275

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Michael Llodra has had an interesting season, starting with a victory in Adelaide, followed by a quarterfinal appearance in Auckland. Subsequent back-to-back meagre performances at the Australian Open and Marseille were followed by a victory in Rotterdam. But after winning his second title a long string of first round exits ensued before a turnaround saw him surprisingly reach the R16 in Roland Garros last week. Entering the draw with an 18-11 mark for the year and two ATP titles, Llodra is rightly favoured over Steve Darcis. However, if history were an indication, another brain freeze of a performance may seem him crash out sooner than later. Let’s hope not for he is my pick.

Tennis Free Picks: Llodra in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Mikhail Youzhny -150 Nicolas Kiefer +110

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Extremely versatile, equally inconsistent, Mikhail Youzhny is the favourite because of his all-court and all-surface type game. However, his inconsistency is a serious handicap against him, making him on any given day a risky bet as he is capable of losing against the most likely player. Nicolas Kiefer has home court edge. The German player will have a partisan crowd to spur him on, so a victory for Kiefer is not entirely unlikely. In fact, the most recent victory – in their 3-1 lifetime record – was notched by Kiefer last year. Although it was his first win against Youzhny, who had previously (from 2001-04) won three in a row, it was significant as it was at a time when Kiefer was launching a comeback on the tour after missing more than a year with a wrist injury. Decidedly in better form, he can surprise Youzhny.

Tennis Free Picks: Kiefer in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Marcos Baghdatis vs. Fabrice Santoro

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Marcos Baghdatis is coming from the Surbiton challenger event on grass last week where he was the top seed but ended up giving a walkover in his 2nd round match. It is tough to predict what form Baghdatis currently enjoys in Halle. In top form, Baghdatis is a threat on the faster surface so in theory he should win this match. However, Santoro is a tricky player. An exceptional playmaker who can adjust his game to any style, Santoro is one player that should not be underestimated.

Tennis Free Picks: Baghdatis in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Roger Federer vs. Jiri Vanek

Match Time: 05:00 AM Eastern Time, Thursday June 12, 2008

Tennis Prediction: Jiri Vanek is what is known as a journeyman player coasting under the radar in between ATP and challenger events. This matchup does not warrant much thought.

Tennis Free Picks: Federer in straight 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.