Australian Open Picks: Expert Predictions & Best Bets
The 2026 Australian Open begins on Saturday night, with several exciting storylines set to unfold in both draws. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz headline the Australian Open men’s draw, as they look to meet in another Grand Slam final. Aryna Sabalenka has won multiple Australian open women’s titles and has appeared in three straight finals, so she headlines the Australian Open women’s draw. Sinner is the -115 favorite on the men’s side, while Sabalenka is the +200 favorite on the women’s side, per the latest Australian Open odds.
SportsLine expert Jose Onorato has locked in his best bets for both draws, featuring a pair of longshots. Before locking in your Australian Open picks for the first Grand slam of the season, be sure to check out the top tennis betting picks from Onorato.
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Onorato has gone 168-106-8 (+107.12 units) on his best bets since 2022. He correctly called Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open (+160), Carlos Alcaraz (+130) in the 2025 French Open and Sinner again at 2025 Wimbledon (+180). He also called Coco Gauff (+700) in the 2025 French Open and Iga swiatek (+1200) at 2025 Wimbledon.Anybody following his tennis betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
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Australian Open men’s best bets:
Table of Contents
- Jannik Sinner (-115)
- Carlos Alcaraz (+180)
- Alex De Minaur (+7000)
Jannik Sinner (-115)
“Sinner comes in as the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, having claimed the title in both 2024 and 2025,” Onorato said. “His game has scaled perfectly to the Australian Open’s speedy hard courts, where his combination of clean hitting, elite fitness, and mental composure has made him nearly untouchable over the past two seasons. He currently ranks among the tour’s best in both service games held and return games won on outdoor hard. His win rate against top-10 opponents on the surface is outstanding,and his tiebreak record highlights how well his game holds up in pressure moments. If he’s fully healthy, there’s no better anchor at the top of the board.”
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“Swiatek has yet to lift the trophy in Australia but remains one of the most reliable all-surface performers on the WTA. Her return game is unmatched, consistently ranking among the top two or three in return games won. She also tends to dispatch lower-ranked opponents in straight sets, which helps manage physical load across the two weeks,” onorato said.”While she hasn’t looked quite as comfortable on hard as she does on clay, her numbers on the surface remain elite. If her serve holds up, she’s just as perilous as Sabalenka over the course of a Slam.” With the latest BetMGM bonus code, new users can get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. Claim the offer here: “At just 18 years old,Andreeva already has a Slam semifinal under her belt and the tactical maturity of a veteran. Her ability to vary pace,absorb power,and construct points gives her a real shot on hard courts,” Onorato said.”She’s posted wins over multiple top-10 players, and her game holds up under pressure. Her return positioning and ability to redirect pace make her notably tough in fast conditions. If she handles the early rounds cleanly, her all-court game could carry her into the second week once again.” New users can get $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 bet with the latest fanduel promo code. You can claim the offer here: You’ve seen Onorato’s top futures bets for the 2026 Australian Open. now, get access to the exclusive SportsLine Discord, where Onorato and blake Von Hagen (+60.3u in 2025) share daily tennis best bets and analysis. Click here to join SportsLine and link your account with Discord. The Federal Reserve System, frequently enough called “the Fed,” is the central bank of the United states and is responsible for maintaining the stability of the nation’s financial system. Established by Congress in 1913 with the Federal Reserve Act, the Fed’s primary duties fall into five general areas: conducting the nation’s monetary policy, supervising and regulating banking institutions, maintaining the stability of the financial system, providing financial services to depository institutions, and conducting research related to the economy. the Fed doesn’t receive funding from Congress; it generates its own income, primarily from the interest on government securities it holds, and remits its profits to the U.S. Treasury. In December 2023,the Federal Reserve announced it would hold steady its benchmark interest rate,remaining between 5.25% and 5.5%, marking the third consecutive meeting without a rate hike. Source: Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve controls monetary policy primarily through three tools: the reserve requirement, the discount rate, and open market operations. The reserve requirement dictates the percentage of deposits that banks must hold in reserve,either in their vault or at the Fed. Changing this requirement impacts the amount of money banks have available to lend. The discount rate is the interest rate at which commercial banks can borrow money directly from the Fed. A lower discount rate encourages banks to borrow and lend more, increasing the money supply. Open market operations involve the buying and selling of U.S. government securities by the Fed. Buying securities injects money into the banking system, while selling securities withdraws money. As of January 2024, the reserve requirement for all depository institutions is set to zero percent. Source: Federal Reserve Board. The primary tool currently used for monetary policy is adjusting the federal funds rate, the target rate that banks charge each other for the overnight lending of reserves. The Federal Reserve System is led by a seven-member board of governors, appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The board of Governors oversees the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks located across the country. Each Reserve Bank serves the banks and financial institutions in its region. The Chair of the Board of Governors is the public face of the Fed and plays a crucial role in shaping monetary policy. Currently, Jerome Powell is serving as Chair, having been nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2018, and afterward renominated by President Biden in 2022. His current term expires in 2026. On January 9, 2024, the Senate confirmed Lisa Cook and Philip jefferson to full terms on the Board of Governors. Source: U.S. Senate Banking Committee. The Federal Reserve operates as an self-reliant entity within the government, meaning its decisions are not directly controlled by the President or Congress. This independence is designed to insulate monetary policy from short-term political pressures, allowing the Fed to focus on long-term economic stability. However, the Fed is still accountable to Congress. The Chair testifies before Congress several times a year, and the Fed’s actions are subject to congressional oversight. The Fed also regularly submits reports to Congress on the state of the economy and its monetary policy decisions. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall street Reform and Consumer Protection Act increased congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve, including requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the Fed’s operations.Source: Dodd-Frank Act.Mirra Andreeva (+1700)
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