Billie Jean King Cup Expert Picks: Which country will win? Who will be the MVP?

This year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals begin Wednesday, in Malaga, Spain, with 12 countries vying for the last women's tennis trophy of the year. Canada, Australia, Czechia and Italy have each received byes into the quarterfinals, awaiting the winners of these "first-round" matches:

• Wednesday, November 13: Spain vs. Poland (winner to face Czechia)
• Thursday, November 14: Slovakia vs. United States (winner to face Australia)
• Thursday, November 14: Japan vs. Romania (winner to face Italy)
• Friday, November 15: Germany vs. Great Britian (winner to face Canada)

So which nation will win it all? Which are potentially dangerous? And who will be the most valuable player? On the eve of the event, we asked our editors and writers for their thoughts:

Peter Bodo, TENNIS.com

• Finalists: Italy d. Canada
• MVP: Jasmine Paolini's skill reaches well beyond her preference for red clay, and her doubles quality with Sara Errani makes her even more versatile.
• Dangerous Team: The United States has a solid team even without Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula, and Danielle Collins is an excellent leader of the young, enthusiastic squad.

Franziska Bruells, TENNIS.com/de

• Finalists: Poland d. United States
• MVP: Taylor Townsend is a great team player and proved that she can adapt to different atmospheres and playing partners—in doubles and mixed—over her past few tournaments.
• Dangerous Team: Czechia, as they have so many players in good shape for singles and doubles.

Liya Davidov, TENNIS.com

• Finalists: Italy d. Great Britain
• MVP: Jasmine Paolini is an asset in both singles and doubles, and gained a lot of confidence this year—not to mention experience under pressure.
• Dangerous Team: Canada is competing for more than themselves at an event they’ve already conquered. That mojo alone could overpower any team they face.

Oliver Dressler, TENNIS.com/de

• Finalists: Italy d. United States
• MVP: Jasmine Paolini, who will carry her country to victory with her energy and good vibe.
• Dangerous Team: Spain, with the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd—giving them a little extra boost they need to reach the semis.

Joel Drucker, TENNIS.com

• Finalists: Italy d. United States
• MVP: The upbeat and versatile Jasmine Paolini’s breakthrough year concludes with a team title.
• Dangerous Team: The combo of two passionate competitors, Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu, could take Canada far once again.

Stephanie Livaudais, TENNIS.com

• Finalists: Italy d. United States
• MVP: Already a huge threat in singles, Jasmine Paolini could mark the difference for Italy in doubles, too. Her regular partner, Sara Errani—with whom she won Olympic gold and reached the Roland Garros final—is also on the roster.
• Dangerous Team: Great Britain are led by Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart, but also have a secret weapon in the returning Emma Raducanu, who has played some great tennis at the BJK Cup.

Julia Valls-Lopez, TENNIS.com/de

• Finalists: United States d. Poland
• MVP: Danielle Collins is a singles star and will boost the team energy.
• Dangerous Team: Italy will certainly put up a fight, and is great in doubles.

Emma Storey, TENNIS.com/de

• Finalists: Italy d. United States
• MVP: Jasmine Paolini, who has excelled in both singles and doubles events this year.
• Dangerous Team: Great Britain, due to the level of Billie Jean King Cup experience the team has.

Steve Tignor, TENNIS.com

• Finalists: Czechia d. Great Britain
• MVP: Katerina Siniakova is among the world's best doubles players, in a competition where doubles can make all the difference.
• Dangerous Team: Poland has the best the singles player in the tournament in Iga Swiatek, who should keep them in every tie.