We’re now in the third round of WTA Indian Wells, and the coming matches contain too many superlatives to list. LWOS is thrilled to present our best bets for the round’s better betting opportunities. There are only two matches where the odds are greater than 4-1 on the books, so we’ll avoid those two and cover the other six. Let us know in the comments if you agree with our picks. Feel free to let us know what you wagered before the match starts, if you dare.
WTA Indian Wells
Cirstea – Noskova: Time 10:00
H2H: 1-1
Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea meets Linda Noskova in a career rubber match. While Cirstea has played WTA Indian Wells countless times, the furthest she’s ever gone is the quarterfinals in 2023. The vast majority of her appearances see her ousted by the second round. Noskova has only been in this tournament thrice. Two-thirds of her appearances saw her as far as the third round. Cirstea is 14-3, including a title at WTA Cluj-Napoca 2. Worth noting that her title came indoors, and she’s yet to make it past the round of 16 on a hardcourt.
Best Bet to Make
The books list Cirstea as the favorite, and I agree with them. A title is a title, and you get all the confidence that comes with that moniker. She’s not a massive favorite, but .25 is better than nothing. For a match like this, I think taking Cirstea straight up at 1.81 on Pinnacle is the way I would play this. There are a lot of unknowns here, and I think it’s best to hedge your bets, literally, by eliminating as many as one can.
That being said, Cirstea winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Cirstea winning @1.81 @Pinnacle
Osorio – Osaka: Time 12:00
H2H: 1-1
Camila Osorio and Naomi Osaka will also meet in a rubber match. The last time they met was exactly one year ago here at WTA Indian Wells. Osorio took care of Osaka in straight sets during the first round. The match was competitive and almost an exact copy, except inverted, of their 2022 Australian Open match, also in the first round, but won by Osaka. Osaka won here back in 2018, but hasn’t really come close since.
Best Bet to Make
The books have Osaka as a 2-1 favorite, which is a bit of a surprise. Osorio already has a title in 2026, which she won at WTA Manila. Osaka has a third-round showing. One of them is 12-5 with a title, all on a hardcourt, in 2026, and the other is 4-1 without having made it past the third round. Osorio’s win in this rivalry also happened last year, while Osaka’s took place in 2022. At 2.58 on Pinnacle, I would absolutely take Osorio in the upset.
That being said, Osorio winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Osorio winning @2.58 @Pinnacle
Mboko – Kalinskaya: Time 19:00
H2H: 2-0
Victoria Mboko meets Anna Kalinskaya for the third time overall in our featured match. Both women are inside the top 25 in the World rankings, and both are having a solid year. Almost like clockwork, Mboko is making tournament final after tournament final, but she has yet to win one in 2026. Kalinskaya is playing well, but hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals of any tournament. Mboko has two finals and a round-of-16 showing. Mboko also has the added benefit of having just dispatched Kalinskaya earlier this year in the round of 16 at WTA Adelaide, but that match did go to a third-set tiebreak.
Best Bet to Make
Victoria Mboko is the favorite in this match by a little more than a point on most books. While a correct score bet might seem tempting, I think a straight-up bet provides enough of a return without having to rely on a round total or games total. I like Mboko in this match, I really do, but Kalinskaya played well enough the last time around that I think it’s wise to use caution. Mboko straight for 1.62 on Pinnacle.
That being said, Mboko winning is a value bet for sure.
Value bet/the best odds: Mboko winning @1.62 @Pinnacle
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey–USA TODAY Sports