The US Open men’s semifinals are just around the corner, with the potential of a Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz showdown in Sunday’s final still alive.

Bookmakers haven’t been able to see past these two stars since the start of the tournament, installing them as the players to beat in their respective draws. 

So, will Day 12 of the US Open fall in line with these expectations and serve up another chapter in the burgeoning rivalry between Djokovic and Alcaraz? 

Or will the penultimate round prove to be a stumbling block for one or both of these seemingly undeniable favorites? Certainly, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and swashbuckling American rising star, Ben Shelton, will be keen to make it so. After all, anything is possible.

As ever, we here at Bookies.com will be covering the action, cherry-picking the best bets and tennis odds to spot for your daily tennis picks.  

So without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into Friday’s action and spot the best bets with our US Open Day 12 tennis picks, complete with tennis odds from the most trusted betting apps..

US Open Day 11 Best Bets

Novak Djokovic vs Ben Shelton

Few would have predicted that Ben Shelton would be the last American standing, but the 2022 NCAA singles champion for the University of Florida has defied the odds and sets up a date in the US Open semifinals with 23-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

The 20-year-old lefty first announced himself at the Australian Open where he reached the quarterfinals in his debut appearance before bowing out to countryman Tommy Paul. While he’s had a tough time of it since January, stringing together a meager 7-17 record, which was marked by early exits in every single tournament, it was nevertheless very apparent that the kid was the future of American tennis.

Well, the future and present have rolled into one over this Flushing fortnight, as Shelton is on the cusp of the US Open final. In order to get to the “Promised Land”, though, he must navigate arguably the toughest hurdle in men’s tennis: Djokovic. 

Djokovic won the first two majors of the 2023 season (Australian Open and French Open). Now, he is bidding for his third of the year and a historic 24^th grand slam title, which will see him tie Margaret Court in the history books as the winningest champion. 

The 36-year-old has never faced Shelton before, but his vast experience in the game and his undeniable championship credentials confirm him as the runaway favorite across the sports betting exchange. 

How many times have we seen the Serbian star crush young up-and-comers just like Shelton, handing them a veritable tennis clinic that leaves them reeling for months? All too often.  

So, it’s easy to understand why few would expect the outcome to be any different this time around or why they’re backing Djokovic as the smart bet here. 

If you belong to this majority that is inclined toward Djokovic, know that backing him to win on the moneyline with odds of -2000 or higher offers absolutely no value. The better value is to back Djokovic in periphery markets such as to win in three, four, or five sets. 

But is it really a foregone conclusion? Djokovic to advance; Shelton to push off?

This close to the final, both players are sure to be focused and determined. Djokovic has the experience, but Shelton has the X-factor. Shelton’s ability to rise to the occasion has brought him this far. 

His precocious nature, positive attitude, and youthful exuberance have won him fans around the globe, while his pure ball striking and breathtaking power have overwhelmed his opponents to the delight of the Flushing faithful. They’ll be behind one of their own, even if the oddsmakers aren’t. And so are we.

US Open Best Bet: Shelton to win +1000 at bet365

Daniil Medvedev vs Carlos Alcaraz

The battle of the last two US Open champions is delicately poised on the tennis odds board, with the defending champion Alcaraz trading as the healthy favorite over the 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev. 

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 2-1. He won both of their meetings this year, including their semifinal clash at the All England Club where he defeated the 27-year-old Russian 6-3, 6 -3, 6-3 on his way to the Wimbledon title. Before that, he beat Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in the Indian Wells final. 

Despite Medvedev’s 0-2 record against Alcaraz this year, it would be premature to write him off entirely. As a former US Open champion, he has arguably a very realistic shot against the 20-year-old tennis prodigy. 

Medvedev has looked very sharp so far at the US Open, dropping just two sets in five matches, and he is coming off a straightforward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over his countryman Andrey Rublev.

Similarly, Alcaraz has looked extremely focused and determined in his first major title defense campaign.  He breezes into the final four with just the loss of one set (to Daniel Evans in the third round). In the quarterfinals, he stormed past a weary Alex Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to book his place in his second-straight US Open semifinal.

Alcaraz, the youngest top seed in US Open history, is a world-class talent who already has two major titles to his credit. He’s the most complete 20-year-old player ever to grace the ATP Tour and he’s two wins away from an incredible third major title – something that is unheard of with players of such tender years. 

All told, Alcaraz is the smart bet to advance into the US Open final. The fact that he’s conserved his energy through the tournament, spending merely 11 hours on the court, only underscores his value against Medvedev, especially if the Russian forces the issue and takes him the distance.

US Open Best Bet: Alcaraz to win -360 at FanDuel