Game, Set, Bet, presented by BetMGM: Is Novak Djokovic worth betting as a heavy favorite at Wimbledon? 

WATCH: Discussing Djokovic's price at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic proved a lot of his doubters wrong by winning Roland Garros and capturing his 23rd Grand Slam title. The 36-year-old’s mental and physical toughness were on full display throughout, and he now heads to Wimbledon as a massive favorite: -140, as of June 26. It makes sense, considering he's won the part four editions of The Championships.

In ATP-level grass-court matches throughout his career, the Serbian is a ridiculous 109-18. That’s good for an absurd 85.8% winning percentage, and there isn’t anybody remotely close to his level on this surface. The only person that has really given him any trouble on grass in recent years is Nick Kyrgios, who lost to Djokovic in a tight four-setter in last year’s final. But Kyrgios comes into this event with serious health concerns, as he just pulled out of a tournament with the same knee injury that has derailed his 2023 season.

If there’s any reason not to bet on Djokovic in this year’s tournament, it’s that the superb Serb hasn’t had much time to get himself used to the grass this year. Djokovic has been practicing on the green stuff over the last week or so, and he does plan to play an exhibition in London later in the week. But not playing any competitive matches on grass is a risky proposition for Djokovic. He’ll need to work his way into form throughout the course of the event, but he’s no stranger to doing that. Djokovic essentially did it at Roland Garros, and that was on a surface he doesn’t exactly love. Grass brings out the absolute best in his game.

The reason Djokovic is so good on grass is that he’s arguably the best returner in the history of the sport. While so many of his peers will struggle to return serves on the quicker surface, it’s only a matter of time before Djokovic figures it out and starts putting pressure on his opponents. Meanwhile, Djokovic’s serve is going to be very tough for opponents to get back. He can always be relied on to hit his spots, and on grass, that is so important. In fact, Djokovic’s hold percentage is just 86.6% this season, but he has held at an 89.6% clip on this surface in his career.

In addition, Djokovic's court coverage on grass is exceptional. He’s in as good of shape as anybody in the history of the game, and he puts that to the test by tracking balls down and making his opponents play extra shots. That is what has made him such a special player throughout his career, and it’s just hard to see it not being on full display over the next couple of weeks.

The -140 odds on Djokovic to win might seem poor now, but you’ll feel a lot better about it when he’s a massive moneyline favorite even when we get into the quarterfinals and semifinals. Realistically, the only other player that seems like a good bet to win this tournament is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard just won a grass-court title at the Queen’s Club, but his odds moved down to +350 after the win. Alcaraz still has a lot to prove on this surface before a bet like that seems like a good idea. He also has to prove that he has the mental and physical ability to hang in there against Djokovic, who broke Alcaraz’s spirit in their meeting at Roland Garros.