Felix Auger-Aliassime and Thanasi Kokkinakis square off for the first time in the first round of Wimbledon.
The pregame narrative: These two tennis stars have never battled before but they enter this tournament in similar form. Auger-Aliassime is a significant favourite but the value lies with Kokkinakis. I'm picking the latter to keep this contest close.
Check out our Auger-Aliassime vs. Kokkinakis odds and best bet for their Wimbledon match on July 2.
Auger-Aliassime vs. Kokkinakis Wimbledon odds
Best Bet: Kokkinakis +1.5 sets (+100)
It's difficult to uncover a discernible difference between Auger-Aliassime and Kokkinakis based on 2024 results.
Auger-Aliassime is 20-14 overall and 0-1 on grass. Kokkinakis is 20-15 on the campaign and 1-0 on grass.
Neither competitor has done exceptionally well at the All England Tennis Club, either. Auger-Aliassime's best result was a third-round exit in 2019 while Kokkinakis has one second-round appearance on his resume.
Auger-Aliassime has the better serve, a trait that typically plays well on the grass. The Canadian places a solid 25th in serve rating (275.6), according to ATPTour.com.
But that attribute has yet to translate into success on this surface, which makes it fair to wonder if anything will change this time.
Even if bettors want to give Auger-Aliassime a slight edge because he's the better server, it's still difficult to back him at his current price.
He enters this match as a commanding -265 favourite, giving him a 72.6% implied probability of winning.
That's far too rich of a price considering his recent struggles on grass. He's 4-6 on the surface since the start of 2022 and has not fared well at this tournament, specifically.
This wager doesn't require Kokkinakis to win, just to keep it close. I think the Aussie can do that.
Key stat: Auger-Aliassime has lost three consecutive Wimbledon matches.
Picks made at 3:28 p.m. ET on 06/29/2024.
