ATP Monte Carlo Cilic and Verdasco Highlight 2nd Round Betting

Monte Carlo, Monaco –Marin Cilic and Fernando Verdasco highlight early action on Court Central at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday. The pair gets the 2nd round of the tournament underway against Igor Andreev and Julien Benneteau, respectively. BetOnline tennis betting market is hopping with odds on these two scintillating players and if the bookies are to be believed, these installed favourites are you best bets to advance into the third round.

Tennis Betting Line: Marin Cilic -250 Igor Andreev +185
First Set Line: Marin Cilic -200 Igor Andreev +150

Match Time: 04:30 AM Eastern Time (10:30 Local Time) Tuesday April 13, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Marin Cilic is a rising sensation in the game, a player to watch now and in the future. Cilic arrives in Monte Carlo on the heels of an impressive first quarter; he is a solid 20-4 ahead of his opening match against Andreev, with two titles on the season – Chennai and Zagreb. Importantly, he owns a 3-1 head-to-head edge over Andreev.

All this makes Cilic a true heavyweight, trading at solid -250 odds. Yet, Andreev beat Cilic on clay – granted the win came in 2008 at Gstaad but it speaks to surface edge that Andreev has over Cilic. You see, Andreev is a bit of a clay-court guru and if he plays at the level he is capable of, he could vex Cilic to the point of upsetting him. The bookies have taken stock of this, listing Andreev at mere puppy odds of +185.

If there were a big seed to crash in the first round, I would certainly look at Cilic being that seed. Cilic has made great strides on hard courts but his clay court game still leaves something to be desired. He likes pace and clay takes pace off the ball, which can throw him off his rhythm and game. If Andreev comes in with a clear strategy, he has a good shot of beating Cilic in my humble opinion, a shot that makes a risk on him worth the time.

Tennis Free Picks: Andreev in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Julien Benneteau +300 Fernando Verdasco -500
First Set Line: Julien Benneteau +225 Fernando Verdasco -350

Match Time: 06:30 AM Eastern Time (12:30 Local Time) Tuesday April 13, 2010

Tennis Betting Verdict: Fernando Verdasco is the hot favourite at -500 to advance into the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters at the expense of Julien Benneteau. The things that make Verdasco an eye-catching play in this matchup are: he is a clay-court aficionado, he is on form with a 14-5 mark on the season that includes one title, and he has a 1-0 edge over Benneteau.

Benneteau is a tempting underdog at +300 to win outright. The veteran is a savvy player and can at times punch above his weight class. He is a modest 11-7 on the season, with a runner-up finish in Marseille. Nevertheless, this match is on Verdasco’s racquet. It is his to win or lose. Benneteau might make things interesting, perhaps even thrilling by taking Verdasco to three sets but I fancy Verdasco to come through in the end.

Tennis Free Picks: Verdasco three sets –  JOIN HERE!