2026 U.S. Open Men's Semifinal: Expert Predictions and Best Bets

Only one of the top four seeds has advanced to the 2026 U.S. Open men's semifinals. World No. 2 and top-seeded Alexander Zverev will take on unseeded Karen Khachanov in Friday's first match, followed by No. 11 Frances Tiafoe facing off against No. 8 seed Ben Shelton. Zverev is looking to win his second Grand Slam event this year, after winning the French Open in June. He placed second at Wimbledon in July. Khachanov, Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are all seeking a spot in a Grand Slam final for the first time. Visit our  DraftKings promo code  review and  get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here :

The semis will start with Zverev vs. Khachanov at 3 p.m. ET from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y. Zverev is the -500 favorite (risk $500 to win $100) to defeat Khachanov (+375) in the latest U.S. Open 2026 odds. The over/under for total games is 38.5 at  betting sites . Meanwhile, Shelton is the -300 favorite over Tiafoe (+240), with that match's total games O/U at 39.5. Before making any 2026 U.S. Open picks, you need to see who proven SportsLine tennis handicapper Jose Onorato is backing .

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 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, Iga Swiatek (+1200) at 2025 Wimbledon and then nailed Alexander Zverev (+700) at this year's French Open. Anybody following his tennis picks at sportsbooks and on  tennis betting sites  could have seen strong returns.

Now, Onorato has scrutinized the latest U.S. Open 2026 odds and released his coveted best bets to win the men's semifinals. He's sharing all of his picks and analysis at SportsLine .

New to sports trading? Visit our  Kalshi promo code  review and  get a $25 trading bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS :

2026 U.S. Open men's semifinal predictions

Onorato has analyzed both men's semifinal matches. One bet he is targeting at the best betting apps is Under 38.5 games in Zverev vs. Khachanov . Zverev has made short work of his last three opponents at the U.S. Open, winning in straight sets. He is 22-7 this year on hard court surfaces. Onorato doesn't see this semifinal being any different.

"Zverev is two wins from a second major of the year, and this semifinal is the more straightforward of the two on paper," Onorato told SportsLine. "The top seed leads Khachanov 6-3 in the head-to-head, has won four of their last five meetings, and just cruised past Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. After opening the tournament with back-to-back five-setters, he has settled into an efficient rhythm and is playing the cleaner, more complete tennis."  See the rest of Onorato's picks here .

How to make 2026 U.S. Open men's semifinal picks

Onorato has his full analysis of both Zverev vs. Khachanov and Tiafoe vs. Shelton, and he's identified multiple best bets.  You can only see his U.S. Open 2026 picks and analysis at SportsLine .

Who wins the U.S. Open men's semifinals, and which bets should you target? Visit SportsLine now to see Onorato's bets for the U.S. Open 2026, all from the renowned tennis expert with several high-profile future wins , and find out.

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/2026-u-s-open-mens-semifinal-odds-predictions-zverev-khachanov-tiafoe-shelton-picks-by-tennis-expert/)._