Australian Open Final Betting Preview: Elena Rybakina vs. Aryna Sabalenka 

If you have been paying attention to our betting coverage this Australian Open, you ought to be in great shape right now. We suggested betting Elena Rybakina to win the title at +2000 in our massive tournament preview, and we also tipped Aryna Sabalenka to win it all at +950 in our “Game, Set, Bet” video for BetMGM. At those odds, you don’t need to touch this match in order to make a killing—but we recognize that a lot of you probably missed out on those calls.

There really isn’t much that separates these two players, as both have legitimate claims to be the best player on the planet. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek held that title for about a year, but she has looked more vulnerable than ever in recent months. Rybakina, meanwhile, is now competing for her second Grand Slam title in a span of seven months, while Sabalenka has looked more dominant than anybody in Melbourne thus far. But when it’s this close, it’s hard not to take the player that has done it before, and we like that Rybakina is going off at plus-money odds.

Sabalenka is more powerful than Rybakina from the baseline, but the Kazakh arguably has an advantage in every other part of the game. She is definitely the more reliable server between the two, as her hold percentage is up at 82.4% to start the 2023 season. Sure, Sabalenka’s is a ridiculous 88.8%, but she has never been over 75.2% in her career. That means she’s due to regress. Rybakina has also been doing a nice job of putting returns in play, so she should give herself plenty of opportunities to break in this match.

It's also hard to overlook the fact that Rybakina just earned a win over Sabalenka in the World Tennis League exhibition, in late December. You never want to put too much weight into those matches, but the players seemed to be treating that event rather seriously. Having the comfort of knowing that she beat Sabalenka in their last meeting should be crucial for Rybakina, who is 0-3 against the Belarusian in their tour-level collisions.

This match just has all the makings of a lengthy, competitive battle, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it go to a decider. And if it does, how can you not roll with the underdog, who already knows what it’s like to win one of tennis' biggest tournaments?

BET: Rybakina To Win (+120)