Looking for upset value at Wimbledon

While many are likely fans of the four major sports, the sports betting landscape expands far beyond these American leagues. The headliner of the day is that Wimbledon has begun, the premier tennis tournament of the year.

Novak Djokovic the betting favorite on the men's side - Djokovic is the betting favorite to win Wimbledon (again), at -125 on DraftKings. His place as the expected winner is well deserved. The Serb has won the tournament the last three years it was held (2020 was canceled due to the pandemic). In total, Djokovic has won Wimbledon six times, and court history and success on a certain surface have proven to be a very predictive betting strategy in tennis. If you're looking for a better potential payout, we recommend Matteo Berrettini at +550. Berrettini was last year's runner-up, has won two recent tournaments and is currently ranked 11th in the world. He also has quite a favorable draw to the quarterfinals. We'll be placing a wager on Berrettini to dethrone Djokovic.

Wide-open field for the ladies' tournament gives us a long shot worth betting - Iga Swiatek from Poland is the betting favorite to win Wimbledon, at +130, but many around the industry don't feel great about her chances. Swiatek has been rolling and is the current No. 1, but she has yet to play a tournament on grass this season. Given the nature of tennis and the impact that surfaces play, we're following this note to load up someone deeper down on the betting list. We love a comeback story, and that's why our betting journey has reached Serena Williams. Serena has won seven Wimbledon championships and has been the runner-up four times, most recently in 2019. We believe Williams has enough to make a run on her familiar stomping grounds, and at +2000, it's a bet we're comfortable rooting on.

In other news ...

Colorado Avalanche win the franchise's third Stanley Cup - Congratulations are in order for the Colorado Avalanche, which took down Tampa Bay 2-1 in Game 6 on Sunday night to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 2001. Star defenseman Cale Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's most valuable player. While we were hoping for a Game 7, we can be happy with this season's most dominant team deservedly hoisting the Cup. The Avalanche are +400 to win again next year, the clear favorites. With the ability to retain much of their core, it's a very real possibility.

Bryce Harper out indefinitely with broken thumb - Just when things were turning around for the Phillies, Bryce Harper took a fastball off the hand that broke his thumb on Saturday. The reigning NL MVP isn't expected back anytime soon, a potential blow for Philadelphia's postseason aspirations. The Phillies' odds to win the NL East plummeted down to +1400, opening the door for both the Mets (-225) and Braves (+245) to battle it out for the division.

Seattle Storm pick up Tina Charles fresh off a contract divorce - There was some peculiar news out of the WNBA this weekend around Phoenix Mercury star Tina Charles. Charles, the former first overall pick and 2012 WNBA MVP, agreed to a "contract divorce" with Phoenix, effective immediately. The high-impact center proceeded to join up with an already loaded Seattle Storm team. Seattle currently owns the fourth-best record in the WNBA and is +600 to win the championship. Considering the added layer that WNBA legend Sue Bird has made this season her last, there is suddenly a lot to like about this future bet. We're betting on the Storm to win it all at this juncture; the Charles addition makes them one of the more complete teams in the league.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll