2018 French Open odds & betting picks – Thursday, May 31

A few big names are in action at the 2018 French Open this Thursday.

Runaway favourite Rafael Nadal faces Argentina’s Guido Pella after making light work of his rescheduled first-round clash with Italian substitute Simone Bolelli.

Young guns Denis Shapovalov and Kyle Edmund are expected to progress, while local favourite Richard Gasquet has an excellent opportunity against Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri.

Not appearing in the second round is Stan Warinka, who justified our complete lack of faith with a five-set defeat to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez first up.

The women’s draw has already lost its defending champion, with Jelena Ostapenko ousted by the unseeded Kateryna Kozlova in the first round.

Also out of commission is Venus Williams, but sister Serena enjoyed a solid return to the big stage with a straight-sets win over Krystina Pliskova.

Top odds for Thursday’s French Open matches come courtesy of William Hill, where new customers can claim hundreds in bonus bets upon joining.

Diego Schwartzman vs. Adam Pavlasek

Schwartzman – -500
Pavlasek – +350

Schwartzman has not enjoyed the greatest of clay campaigns in 2018, failing to pass the third round at Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Munich, Madrid and Rome. The red stuff is his bread and butter, however, and his superb return game should prove too much for Czech qualifier Pavlasek.

Denis Shapovalov vs. Max Marterer

Shapovalov – -227.27
Marterer – +175

Shapovalov has put in some very strong performances in recent weeks, including a run to the semi-finals at Madrid that included wins over Benoit Paire, Milos Raonic and Kyle Edmund. Marterer is no slouch, but the 19-year-old Canadian lefty should have his measure.

Pablo Cuevas vs. Kevin Anderson

Cuevas – +120
Anderson – -149.25

This is an interesting matchup between two players who have consistently finished middle of the pack at Roland Garros over the past few years. Anderson has reached the fourth round in three of his last four campaigns, thus trumping Pablo’s hat-trick of third-round exits.

Serena Williams vs. Ashleigh Barty

Williams – +100
Barty – -125

We may never again see better odds for Serena Williams in the second round of a major. Neither of these ladies love the clay, yet one of them has taken home the title on three occasions. Barty is a big talent who can beat anyone on her day, but it is tough to pass up Serena at this price.

French Open multi odds at William Hill

• Schwartzman to win – -500
• Shapovalov to win – -227.27
• Anderson to win – -149.25
• Williams to win – +100

William Hill multi odds = +477