Challenger Malaga Bet Preview – October 11 | Carreno Busta vs Bellucci preview | Ramos-Vinolas vs Nava preview | Moro Canas vs Galan preview

Our Challenger Malaga bet preview takes a look at three great matches today in the south of Spain. With some ATP mainstays taking on young players, there are great betting opportunities for punters looking to bet on the Malaga Challenger.

Carreno Busta vs Bellucci Bet Preview

Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta takes on Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in a match that will test Carreno Busta’s health as he returns from injury.

The Spaniard fell short last week in his return at the Ferrero Challenger, losing to 3rd-seeded Pedro Martinez in straight sets. As it was his first match back since February, it was clear that he was easing his way back into playing.

In the first round in Malaga, Carreno Busta was able to edge out young Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 2-6 6-4 6-3. The win shows that Carreno Busta is in match form, which is a good sign for him heading into today’s clash.

Bellucci also had an early exit last week, losing in a third-set tiebreak to Elias Ymer after beating Akira Santillan in the first round. In his first match in Malaga, the Italian took out the 2nd-seeded Roberto Carballes Baena after losing the first set.

Bellucci seems to thrive in late season hard court challengers, having won both Saint Tropez and Vilnius last October. The big question mark is whether Carreno Busta will be able to sustain his fitness after his first win in eight months or if the Italian will take advantage of his older opponent’s physical issues.

Carreno Busta vs Bellucci Bet Prediction

The oddsmakers have this a close match, with Carreno Busta listed as a 1.75 favourite compared to Bellucci’s 2.00 odds.

While Pablo will certainly have the home support, especially being a national holiday in Spain with many fans out, this one is the Italian’s for the taking. Carreno Busta is the more accomplished player, but having just played a three-set match after so much time away for the court should have him worn out for the long rallies that the Italian can bring.

Carreno Busta vs Bellucci Best Bet: Take Bellucci with the 2.00 odds as he should be able to outlast the always difficult Carreno Busta as the match goes on.

Ramos-Vinolas vs Nava Bet Preview

Fresh off a semifinal performance in the Lisbon Challenger, Albert Ramos-Vinolas takes on 21-year-old Emilio Nava from the United States.

Ramos-Vinolas comes into the match having made the semifinals of his last two tournaments, both on clay, before dispatching Adrian Andreev 4-6 6-0 7-5 in Malaga’s first round. As always, Ramos-Vinolas has used his experience and veteran craftsmanship to make things difficult on clay. However, aside from his last match in Malaga, he only played on match on hard court – a straight sets loss to another young American in Alex Michelsen at the US Open.

Nava has played exclusively on the hard courts since July, reaching the final of the Stanford Challenger as a qualifier. He then qualified for the US Open, where he lost a hard-fought battle to 8th-seeded Casper Ruud, winning one set and losing two in tiebreaks.

In his last two Challenger tournaments, Nava has seen a second-round exit at the hands of Giulio Zeppieri and Constant Lestienne. He beat fellow Italian Raul Brancaccio 6-4 6-4 in the first round of Challenger Malaga.

Ramos-Vinolas vs Nava Bet Prediction

The younger Nava enters the match as a 1.6 favourite, while the home player is a 2.2 underdog in the encounter.

With both players in mediocre form on the hard courts, this one should certainly be a war of attrition. Both players can hit hard when needed, but prefer to move their opponents around in longer rallies. It’s hard to see either winning easily in what could be a long, grinding battle.

Ramos-Vinolas vs Nava Best Bet: The over 21.5 games at 1.7 looks to be the best bet in this matchup. This match could easily see a 7-5 or 7-6 set, as well as go the distance to three sets.

Moro Canas vs Galan Bet Preview

The final match of the today’s Malaga Challenger bet previews sees Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas taking on the 4th-seeded Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia.

Moro Canas has had success in Spanish hard court challengers this season, reaching the quarterfinal in Tenerife 2 Challenger back in March, as well as making the semifinal of the Pozoblanco Challenger at the end of July.

In his last tournament, he was dispatched in the first round of the Alicante Challenger 6-4 6-4 by Maximilian Marterer. He has already spent a lot of time on court this week, with both of his qualifying matches going to three sets. In the first round, he had a minor upset beating Elias Ymer of Sweden 6-1 7-6 as a slight underdog.

The 4th-seeded Galan has not been good on the hard courts, sporting a record of three wins against ten losses in 2023. It should be noted that Galan made the jump from Challengers to the ATP Tour this year and many of his losses came against a higher level of competition than today’s opponent.

He ventured to China the previous few weeks to play at the top level, to little success. He lost in straight sets in the first round of Chengdu and Shanghai, with a tough three-set loss to Matteo Arnaldi in Beijing in between.

In his first match in Alicante, he beat Frenchman Hugo Grenier 6-3 7-5 as a 1.72 favourite, showing that moving back down to challengers may have been the right move for the moment.

Moro Canas vs Galan Bet Prediction

The bookies have Galan as a 1.65 favourite to Moro Canas’ 2.1 odds in this match.

With two players that prefer clay in this matchup, we should see some long and drawn out rallies. Moro Canas has already played eight sets this week, so fatigue could be a factor the longer the rallies go on.

We would not recommend to bet on such a tight and unpredictable matchup, but if you do then lay the odds with Galan as the fresher player.