Shelton is a +4000 underdog to win the tournament and now meets No. 2 seed and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic for the chance to play in the finals of the US Open.
The two are scheduled to meet Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm EST at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the right to play for the 2023 US Open Men’s Singles title.
Shelton (+925) is an overwhelming underdog at PointsBet NJ and was asked after the match if he knew who he was playing on Friday, stating, “He’s won maybe 23 of these? Something like that?” — referring to Djokovic’s total number of major championships. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Djokovic Seeking 24th Grand Slam Title
Djokovic has won 23 majors since winning the 2003 Australian Open and is a -150 favorite to raise the US Open trophy for the fourth time in his illustrious career.
The Serbian superstar reached the semis with a 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory over American Taylor Fritz. Djokovic shared his thoughts about the match with reporters;
“I am drenched in sweat. I saw Taylor change shirt a couple of times, it was very humid conditions,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview when asked about the conditions inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“Difficult to play, but that is why we train and try to get ourselves in the best conditions to deliver. Not easy but you have to fight, as the song says, you have to fight for your right to party.”
Djokovic vs. Shelton Betting Advice
Djokovic is a -2000 favorite to win his semifinal matchup with Shelton. The two have never played before, and it should be an interesting contrast in styles between the counter-puncher Djokovic and the big-hitting Shelton.
The World No. 2 will be playing in his 13th US Open semifinal–he’s been there, done that, and has the tee shirts to prove it. The oddsmakers have made him a -2000 favorite, meaning a $2000 wager at PointsBet would win $100. That’s too much risk without any reward; laying that much juice is never a good idea.
Djokovic has dropped just one set en route to the semis. His Set Markets prop of -2.5 (-147) means a $100 wager on Djokovic to win 3-0 would net the New Jersey sports bettor $68 plus the $100 stake.
Shelton reached the quarters of the Australian Open, failed to win consecutive matches over his subsequent 18 events, and now is +128 to win just one set and +925 at DraftKings to win the match. A $100 bet on winning one set would payout $128 plus the bet, while a $100 bet on Shelton to win would pay $925 plus the $100 wager.
There isn’t much value in Djokovic, but there rarely ever is. The value is clearly on Shelton-he’ll have the crowd on his side, he’s used to hot, humid days and has nothing to lose. Shelton has gone four sets with four of his five opponents–Thiem retired after Game 1 of the second set, and his crushing forehands and booming serve could net the young American at least one set.
Friday should be interesting. I advise watching the match as it happens on a dependable stream and betting in-game at any of our New Jersey sportsbooks.
