The Laver Cup is back in London this weekend, and there’s plenty to get stuck into from a betting perspective. I’ve studied both rosters and the Day 1 lineups to find the best value ahead of the ninth edition of Europe vs World. Below, you’ll find the outright odds, winning margin markets, my best bets and a pick for every match on the opening day.
Laver Cup 2026: Key info
- The 2026 Laver Cup runs from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27 at The O2 Arena in London
- Yannick Noah captains Team Europe, Andre Agassi leads Team World
- Each day features three singles matches and one doubles match
- A win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday – that makes 24 points available, and the first team to 13 lifts the trophy
- Team Europe leads the all-time series 5-3, but Team World has won three of the last four editions, including last year’s 15-9 win in San Francisco
Who’s playing Laver Cup 2026?
Team Europe is stacked. Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev lead the way as the world No 3 and No 2. Flavio Cobolli, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik and Casper Ruud round out the six, with Arthur Fery as the alternate. Jodar is the only debutant (unless Fery plays).
Team World has been hit hard by withdrawals. Tommy Paul pulled out with an injury and was replaced by Francisco Cerundolo. Then US Open runner-up Ben Shelton withdrew, with Brandon Nakashima called in. That leaves Agassi with Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien, Cerundolo and Nakashima. Ignacio Buse is the alternate.
Given the form he’s in, and his general vibes in this format of competition, losing Shelton hurts. He’s been a force for Team World at this event, especially in doubles. Without him, only one player on Agassi’s roster sits inside the top 10 live rankings.
Laver Cup 2026 odds & favorites
For context, here’s how tennis betting sites are pricing the outright winner market heading into the 2026 Laver Cup:
- Team Europe – 1.30 (-333)
- Team World – 3.50 (+250)
Europe is the rightful favorite. They’ve got two of the world’s top three players, and Zverev arrives as the reigning Roland-Garros and US Open champion. Alcaraz is back after a long layoff with a wrist problem, and he looked close to his best in New York before losing an epic to Shelton. Add a home crowd at The O2, and it’s easy to see why bookies have Europe well clear.
That said, I’m not rushing to back Europe at 1.30 (-333). Team World has made a habit of beating stronger-looking European sides, and the weighted scoring means things aren’t decided by who wins the most matches necessarily. Europe led 3-1 after Day 1 in San Francisco last year, then lost all four matches on Saturday and never recovered.
There isn’t much value in that price on its own. So I’d look at the winning margin markets instead.
Winning margin odds
Here’s how bookmakers have the handicap markets:
- Team Europe -3.5 points – 1.85 (-118)
- Team Europe -5.5 points – 2.40 (+140)
- Team World +3.5 points – 1.95 (-105)
Four of the last five editions were decided by four points or more – Europe won 14-1 in 2021, Team World won 13-8 in 2022 and 13-2 in 2023, and last year finished 15-9. The only tight one was Europe’s 13-11 win in Berlin in 2024.
Once one team gets on a roll on Saturday or Sunday, things snowball. That’s where the value is in Laver Cup betting.
Laver Cup 2026 predictions & best bets
Best outright bets
- Team Europe -3.5 points @ 1.85 (-118)
- Team Europe -5.5 points @ 2.40 (+140)
- Team Europe to win @ 1.30 (-333)
Europe by four or more is my best bet for the 2026 Laver Cup. They’ve held their big guns back on Day 1 – Zverev and Cobolli don’t play at all on Friday, and Alcaraz only appears in doubles. That means Europe’s three highest-ranked players are fresh for the singles matches that count for two and three points.
Agassi has done the same with de Minaur and Tien, who both sit out Friday. But Bublik plays singles and doubles on Friday night, and Fritz is in the doubles too. Even with de Minaur and Tien fresh, Team World is facing a Europe side with far more firepower in the singles.
Zverev and Alcaraz both have revenge on their minds. Zverev lost 6-1, 6-4 to de Minaur last year, while Alcaraz was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Fritz. Both will want to set that right in front of a London crowd, and neither is in the kind of form that suggests a repeat is on the cards.
I expect Team World to keep it close on Friday. After that, I think Europe’s depth takes over. My prediction is a Europe win by four or more, so the -3.5 line at 1.85 (-118) is my value play.
For those who fancy a bigger return, the -5.5 line at 2.40 (+140) is worth a smaller stake. Team World has only one top-10 player here and has already lost two off its original roster. If Saturday goes Europe’s way, this could turn into a rout.
My safe play is Team Europe to win at 1.30 (-333). It won’t make you rich, but it’s a solid leg for a multi.
Day 1 predictions
- Cerundolo to beat Ruud @ 1.85 (-118)
- Nakashima to beat Mensik @ 2.00 (+100)
- Jodar to beat Bublik @ 1.70 (-143)
- Alcaraz/Mensik to beat Fritz/Bublik @ 1.65 (-154)
Ruud and Cerundolo open proceedings at 1pm local time, in a rematch of their Laver Cup opener in Berlin in 2024. Cerundolo won that one 6-4, 6-4, handing Ruud his only singles loss at this event. The Argentine leads their head-to-head 5-4, and he’s had a strong 2026, winning titles in Buenos Aires and at Queen’s Club.
Ruud’s form is my biggest worry. He hasn’t won a singles match in over seven weeks, with an injury forcing him out of the US Open. Indoor hardcourts have never been his best surface either. Cerundolo is my pick at 1.85 (-118).
Mensik vs Nakashima is a tougher call. Nakashima won their only meeting in three sets in Washington this summer, and he’s riding the best hardcourt run of his career. He went 12-3 across the summer, reaching the Montreal final and Cincinnati semi-finals, and is at a career-high No 16 currently.
But Mensik has the bigger serve, and he beat Shelton in Davis Cup action this month. However, his second serve can be attacked. That’ll give Nakashima chances on return, so at even money, I’ll take the American.
Jodar gets the night session underway against Bublik in a first meeting between two Laver Cup debutants. Jodar has climbed 311 places to No 14 in the space of a year, won his first tour-level title in Marrakech and made deep runs in Washington and Montreal. He’s already beaten de Minaur this season too.
He lost in the first round of the US Open, but I don’t read much into that. Bublik can beat anyone on his day – he’s one of the few to have beaten Jannik Sinner since the Italian hit his stride. But he’s been inconsistent this year and hasn’t matched his 2025 level. I like Jodar here.
In the doubles, Alcaraz and Mensik teamed up on Day 1 in San Francisco last year and won, so there’s familiarity on Europe’s side. Fritz and Bublik are a first-time pairing, and Bublik will be walking straight off court from his singles match. Mensik plays in the day session and should be much fresher, so I’m backing Europe to finish the day strong.
If those four picks land, Day 1 ends level at 2-2, which is exactly the kind of start I expect before Europe pulls away.
Value bets to consider
- Cerundolo to beat Ruud in straight sets @ 3.00 (+200)
- Mensik vs Nakashima to go to a match tiebreak @ 2.75 (+175)
- Jodar to beat Bublik in straight sets @ 2.40 (+140)
If you agree Ruud is short of match play and won’t bring his best here, then Cerundolo in straight sets is the logical step up in price. He did exactly that when they met at this event two years ago, and a rusty Ruud could struggle to find his rhythm early. At 3.00 (+200), it’s a bet I’d take.
Mensik vs Nakashima has all the ingredients for a tight finish. Two big servers, a three-set match last time they met, and a slow-ish indoor court. The third set at the Laver Cup is a 10-point match tiebreak, so the price on this one going the distance should be decent. I have it at around 2.75 (+175).
Finally, Jodar in straight sets. Bublik is a streaky player, and if Jodar gets on top of him early, the Kazakh has a habit of going missing. I have Jodar as the better player right now, and 2.40 (+140) for a win without dropping a set looks like excellent value for a small play.
