The Pick, presented by DraftKings Sportsbook: Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Diego Schwartzman, Indian Wells

On Sunday, world No. 14 Diego Schwartzman, fresh off an opening-round bye, will look to take care of business against talented 22-year-old Emil Ruusuvuori at the BNP Paribas Open. It will be a contrast of styles at Indian Wells, and another chance for us to make some money.

Whereas Ruusuvuori tends to do most of his work with his powerful serve and forehand, Schwartzman is a grinder that is at his best playing long points. The Argentinean does have sneaky power from the baseline, but he’s going to do his best work by extending points and constructing them the way he wants. Schwartzman thinks the game at an elite level, and everything he does has a purpose. His opponent will mostly just be looking to hit him off the court.

Schwartzman’s lack of hard-court play coming into this match is a concern—he hasn't competed on the surface since mid-January, while Ruusuvuori has played 10 matches since the Australian Open—but his style of play still gives him a massive edge in the desert. The Sunday forecast calls for winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, and Schwartzman's consistency is more likely to thrive in that type of chaos. Ruusuvuori, who tends to make a decent amount of mistakes even on a good day, could get rattled under these circumstances.

It’s not like Ruusuvuori is in great form coming into this match, either. The Finnish player is just 3-3 in his last six outings, with losses to Joao Sousa, Karen Khachanov and David Goffin in that time. The loss to Khachanov is understandable, but the other two are somewhat disappointing for a player that made a lot of strides in 2021. If Ruusuvuori’s not at his very best, he’s not going to be able to beat a player of Schwartzman’s caliber.

The 29-year-old Schwartzman shouldn’t take long to get reacclimated to the surface. He's also s the type of player that is capable of overcoming any on-court rust with his sheer desire to win. There might not be a player on tour that is as competitive as Schwartzman is, and that alone should help him pick apart his younger, less-experienced opponent.

The Pick: Schwartzman To Win (-170)