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Inside the Lines team

The U.S. Open kicks off in New York, showcasing the best players in the world on the biggest stage. Jannik Sinner, fresh off a win at Wimbledon, is the defending US Open champion on the men's side. Taft Gantt, who nailed all four semifinalists for Wimbledon in July, breaks down his best bets for the tournament. For more real-time, free picks every day, check out the Inside the Lines Blog.

U.S. Open Best Bets

Ben Shelton to reach quarterfinals (+155, FanDuel)

Shelton comes into the U.S. Open playing arguably the best among American players. Unfortunately, he'll have to face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters if he wants to become the first U.S. player to win a grand slam title since 2003. While I don't have the world No. 6 taking down Alcaraz, I do think he'll be able to get there rather easily. His only losses this year in grand slams came to either Alcaraz or Sinner, both of whom are seemingly the only ones that can stop him. Shelton has a 12-2 record since Wimbledon, and I like his value to win his first four matches at plus-money.

Taylor Fritz (+320, FanDuel) & Frances Tiafoe (+1200, FanDuel) to reach semifinals

If you'll remember, these two met in the U.S. Open semifinals last year. Now, the Americans share a draw and have the second- and fourth-lowest odds to make it out of their side. The only problem? They have to go through Novak Djokovic. However, with Djokovic now 38 years old, I think either Fritz or Tiafoe can take him down and return to the final four.

Alex De Minaur to reach semifinals (+440, FanDuel)

De Minaur has the game to take down anyone in what I see as the least top-heavy quarter of the draw. Alexander Zverev is the only threat, but the Aussie plays a similar game to the world No. 3 and could wear him down. De Minaur has reached the quarterfinals in all four grand slams dating back to 2024. With the favorable draw, I'm confident this is the year he breaks through.

Bet it at all here on FanDuel, where you can get $150 in bonus bets as a new user with a winning $5 wager:

This is a recap of Taft's tennis picks since joining the Inside the Lines Team:


Profit$177



Wimbledon 2025OddsUnits
Shelton + Musetti ML-147-1.00
Djokovic To Reach Semi Finals+105+1.05
Fritz To Reach Semi Finals+400+4.00
Swiatec + Shelton ML-150+0.66
Alcaraz + Norrie O32.5-110-1.00
Fritz, Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz To Reach Semi Finals+1400+14.00