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Tennis

ATP & WTASunday 18 October 20267 games

Hard-court ratings against the match odds, with form and head-to-head. The full edition has every sport from that day.

Tennis: Almatyfirst round, Monday, indoor hard

Cilic v BasilashviliMon 5:30 AM ET · Almaty
The biggest gap we have printed, and almost certainly the ratings are the ones that are wrongOdds Cilic 2.25 / Basilashvili 1.63 · fair odds 42.0 / 58.0

The hard-court ratings make Marin Čilić a 71% chance. The odds make him 42%, and they have moved hard against him: from 2.07 to 2.36 at Pinnacle since the open.

Čilić pulled out of the US Open with an injury that was never named and has won one of three matches since. Nikoloz Basilashvili has won two qualifying matches here this weekend.

Against it  Our rule makes Čilić the pick, and we will grade it, but a 29-point gap is the ratings missing something rather than the market. The only doubt on the other side: Basilashvili stopped at 2–2 in the second set against Mannarino in Shanghai, for a reason we could not find. Čilić leads their meetings 2–0.

Odds sayBasilashvili 58% · Čilić 42%
Ratings sayČilić 71% · 29 points apart, on Čilić
LineOpened Čilić 2.07 / Basilashvili 1.82 · now 2.36 / 1.64 · 6 points towards Basilashvili, away from the ratings
FitnessČilić: withdrew from the US Open, injury not named; 1–2 since · Basilashvili: stopped mid-match in Shanghai, reason not found; two qualifying wins here
Head-to-headČilić 2–0
Mannarino v VukicMon 4:00 AM ET · Almaty
The ratings give Vukic more of a chance than the odds doOdds Mannarino 1.55 / Vukic 2.43 · fair odds 61.1 / 38.9

The odds give Adrian Mannarino 61%. The ratings give him 55%, which leaves Aleksandar Vukic at 45% against the odds' 39%. The pick is Vukic.

Their meetings are level at 2–2, and Vukic won both in 2024, one of them here in Almaty.

Against it  Mannarino reached the third round in Shanghai last week. The line has barely moved, edging a point towards Vukic.

Odds sayMannarino 61% · Vukic 39%
Ratings sayMannarino 55% · 6 points apart, on Vukic
LineOpened Mannarino 1.56 / Vukic 2.56 · now 1.58 / 2.49 · a point towards Vukic
Head-to-head2–2 · both 2024 meetings to Vukic, including Almaty
Kecmanovic v DuckworthMon 2:30 AM ET · Almaty
The ratings make it closer than the oddsOdds Kecmanovic 1.53 / Duckworth 2.45 · fair odds 61.6 / 38.4

The odds give Miomir Kecmanović 62%. The ratings give him 56%, so James Duckworth is the pick at 2.45.

They have never played.

Against it  Duckworth has lost five straight, and the ratings were last updated before most of them. This is a small edge on a player in poor form.

Odds sayKecmanović 62% · Duckworth 38%
Ratings sayKecmanović 56% · 6 points apart, on Duckworth
LineOpened Kecmanović 1.60 / Duckworth 2.45 · now 1.58 / 2.49 · flat
FormDuckworth: five straight losses
Head-to-headnever played

Tennis: Brusselsfirst round, indoor hard · Rune withdrew

Basavareddy v CollignonTue about 4:00 AM ET · Brussels
The ratings like Collignon; seven weeks off and five straight losses say otherwiseOdds Basavareddy 1.65 / Collignon 2.22 · fair odds 57.4 / 42.6

Raphaël Collignon was due to play Holger Rune, who withdrew with a back problem; he now meets the qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy. The ratings give Collignon 55%, the odds 43%. The pick is Collignon.

Collignon has not played since the US Open at the end of August and has lost five straight; the Belgian press has written about a loss of confidence rather than an injury.

Against it  Basavareddy won their only meeting, at Winston-Salem in 2025, and has matches in his legs from qualifying. The ratings have not seen Collignon's seven weeks off. The time is the tournament's placeholder and may move.

Odds sayBasavareddy 57% · Collignon 43%
Ratings sayCollignon 55% · 12 points apart, on Collignon
LineNo Pinnacle price · bet365 1.67 / 2.20, unchanged
FormCollignon: no match since 31 Aug, five straight losses · Basavareddy: through qualifying
Head-to-headBasavareddy 1–0 · Winston-Salem 2025
Hanfmann v DammMon 7:30 AM ET · Brussels
The ratings favour Hanfmann more than the odds do, if Damm's rating can be trustedOdds Hanfmann 1.79 / Damm 2.00 · fair odds 52.8 / 47.2

The odds give Yannick Hanfmann 53%. The ratings give him 59%. The pick is Hanfmann.

Martin Damm got in as a lucky loser after losing in three sets in qualifying yesterday.

Against it  Damm's line in the ratings table carries a career peak from 1999, which is his father's, so his rating may be contaminated and the gap unreliable. They have never played, and other books have moved slightly towards Hanfmann already.

Odds sayHanfmann 53% · Damm 47%
Ratings sayHanfmann 59% · 7 points apart, on Hanfmann · Damm's rating may include his father's record
LinePinnacle 1.86 / 2.02, no movement recorded · other books towards Hanfmann
Head-to-headnever played

Tennis: Lyonfirst round, Monday, indoor hard

Sonego v KouameMon 12:00 PM ET · Lyon
The ratings barely know Kouame, and the odds take him far more seriouslyOdds Sonego 1.61 / Kouame 2.29 · fair odds 58.7 / 41.3

The ratings make Lorenzo Sonego an 80% chance; the odds make him 59%. The pick is Sonego.

Kouame is in on a wildcard, and his hard-court rating is built on very few tour-level matches, which is why it is so low.

Against it  A thin record makes a rating unreliable in both directions, and the money has moved two points towards Kouame since the open. They have never played.

Odds saySonego 59% · Kouame 41%
Ratings saySonego 80% · 21 points apart, on Sonego · Kouame's rating rests on very few matches
LineOpened Sonego 1.60 / Kouame 2.46 · now 1.65 / 2.35 · 2 points towards Kouame
Head-to-headnever played
Arnaldi v MusettiMon 10:30 AM ET · Lyon
No pick: the ratings and the odds agree on Musetti, but his finger is the questionOdds Arnaldi 2.70 / Musetti 1.45 · fair odds 34.9 / 65.1

The odds give Lorenzo Musetti 65%, the ratings 66%.

Musetti broke a finger on his right hand in training in Tokyo at the end of September and has played once since, losing to Zhou Yi in Shanghai. He leads Matteo Arnaldi 5–0.

Against it  The money has moved four points towards Arnaldi since the open, which is the market pricing in the finger.

Odds sayMusetti 65% · Arnaldi 35%
Ratings sayMusetti 66% · 1.4 points apart
LineOpened Arnaldi 3.11 / Musetti 1.40 · now 2.77 / 1.49 · 4 points towards Arnaldi
FitnessMusetti: fractured right ring finger, 30 Sep; one match since
Head-to-headMusetti 5–0
How Thursday's picks went, and the end of Shanghai

Hockey went five for seven (Detroit, Florida, Vegas, Ottawa and Utah won; St Louis and Nashville lost). Seattle lost 17–14 in overtime in Denver, the Dodgers lost Game 4 and were swept, and Paul lost to Medvedev. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina won Shanghai, beating Zverev and then Jodar 1–6 7–6 6–4 in the final; the pool's final standings are up.

Hard-court ratings from Tennis Abstract, last updated 5 October; prices are the Tennis Explorer average with the bookmakers' cut removed (in Brussels, without a broken Betfair line); movement is Pinnacle's opener against its price on Monday morning. All times Eastern.  ·  Sources & methods

How the picks have done

7–4won–lost-0.7units-6%return on stakes6pending
DateGamePickPriceWhyResultUnits
Sun 18 OctCilic v BasilashviliCilic2.25ratings 71%, odds 42%pending
Sun 18 OctMannarino v VukicVukic2.43ratings 45%, odds 39%pending
Sun 18 OctKecmanovic v DuckworthDuckworth2.45ratings 44%, odds 38%pending
Sun 18 OctBasavareddy v CollignonCollignon2.22ratings 55%, odds 43%pending
Sun 18 OctHanfmann v DammHanfmann1.79ratings 59%, odds 53%pending
Sun 18 OctSonego v KouameSonego1.61ratings 80%, odds 59%pending
Thu 15 OctMedvedev v PaulPaul2.74ratings 40%, odds 35%L-1.00
Wed 14 OctGea v Davidovich FokinaDavidovich Fokina1.83ratings 60%, odds 52%P+0.00
Tue 13 OctPaul v BergsPaul1.45ratings 71%, odds 65%W+0.45
Tue 13 OctJodar v Van de ZandschulpJodar1.50ratings 66%, odds 63%W+0.50
Mon 12 OctDe Minaur v KhachanovDe Minaur1.81ratings 69%, odds 52%W+0.81
Mon 12 OctBublik v ZverevZverev1.31ratings 78%, odds 72%W+0.31
Mon 12 OctHurkacz v Davidovich FokinaDavidovich Fokina1.97ratings 54%, odds 48%W+0.97
Sun 11 OctHurkacz v ZhouHurkacz1.13ratings 91%, odds 84%W+0.13
Sun 11 OctDavidovich Fokina v TiafoeTiafoe1.90ratings 56%, odds 50%L-1.00
Sun 11 OctBublik v NakashimaNakashima1.78ratings 58%, odds 53%L-1.00
Sun 11 OctZverev v HalysZverev1.13ratings 88%, odds 84%W+0.13
Sun 11 OctF. Cerundolo v MensikCerundolo2.28ratings 45%, odds 41%L-1.00

Tennis: a pick when our win chance and the odds' are three points apart. Baseball: when one starter's expected ERA is half a run better. Hockey and football (from 15 October): when one side wins at least two more of the category rows on the card than the other; before that, hockey was Elo against the odds and football ELWAY against the spread. One unit at the price on the card. Everything else is a pass and is not graded. Grading started with the 11 October cards. Price is in decimal odds: 1.80 returns 0.80 units on a win.

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