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Ben Shelton looks to become the first American male to win a tennis major since 2003 when he takes on top-seeded Alexander Zverev on Sunday. Shelton already upset Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and then held off fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semis. Zverev battled through some tough early-round matches before cruising through the quarters and semis in straight sets. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:
The final will start at 2 p.m. ET from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y. Zverev is the -152 favorite (risk $152 to win $100), with Shelton listed at +126. The over/under for total games is 42.5.
Before making any U.S. Open picks or predictions, be sure to see the U.S. Open 2026 picks from tennis handicapper Jose Onorato.
Onorato grew up playing competitive tennis in Caracas, Venezuela. After coming to the U.S., he trained with famed coach Nick Bollettieri at IMG Academy in Florida and faced players like Robert Farah, now one of the world's top-ranked doubles players.
Onorato, who holds dual degrees in finance and economics from the University of Miami, does extensive research before placing any tennis bets. He studies current form, players' tendencies on a particular surface, weather conditions and many other relevant factors. That systematic approach has helped Onorato go 168-106-8 (+107.12 units) 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 Gauff (+700) in the 2025 French Open and Iga Swiatek (+1200) at 2025 Wimbledon. This year, he nailed Alexander Zverev (+700) in the 2026 French Open.
For the final grand slam tournament of the season, Onorato has broken down the latest odds for both 2026 U.S. Open men's final and has identified his best bets.
One of his picks: He's taking Zverev -1.5 games. "Zverev's backhand is tailor-made to handle Shelton's forehand, and his return game is a significant step above anything Shelton has faced this fortnight," Onorato said. "This is their first meeting at a major, and the experience gap in best-of-five finals is enormous. Zverev has been here, most recently winning Roland Garros. Shelton has not."
Additionally, Onorato has thoroughly studied this match and revealed another best bet that returns plus money! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what they are before locking in any 2026 U.S. Open women's picks of your own!
What are the best bets for Zverev vs. Shelton, and what plus-money play should you jump on? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Jose Onorato's predictions and analysis for the 2026 U.S. Open men's final, all from the tennis expert who is 168-106-8 since 2022!
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