2022 French Open men's final odds, predictions: Nadal vs. Ruud picks, best bets from proven tennis expert

Men's tennis handicapper Sean Calvert has locked in his Rafael Nadal vs. Casper Ruud picks for the French Open 2022 final

By CBS Sports Staff

Jun 5, 2022 at 6:00 am ET • 3 min read

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It's been a grueling road, but Rafael Nadal is back in the final at Roland Garros, and he will face Casper Ruud on Sunday for the 2022 French Open title. Nadal was on the toughest side of the draw, which included Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. But the 36-year-old dispatched top-ranked rival Djokovic in the quarterfinals and got through a battle with Zverev when the German had to retire with an ankle injury while trailing slightly. Now, Nadal will play Ruud with a chance to extend his records to 14 French Open titles and 22 Grand Slam wins. Ruud is in his first Grand Slam final but is an elite clay-court player. Nadal was the 23-year-old's childhood idol, and the Norwegian has trained at Nadal's academy in Mallorca for several years.

First serve at Roland Garros in Paris is set for 9 a.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Nadal as a -550 favorite (risk $550 to win $100) in the latest Nadal vs. Ruud odds. Ruud is a +425 underdog, and the over-under for total games is set at 33.5. Before making any 2022 French Open picks for the men's final, be sure to see the Nadal vs. Ruud predictions from SportsLine's Sean Calvert.

Calvert is the handicapper who called Stan Wawrinka winning the 2014 Australian Open at 60-1. In the Miami Open in 2018, he did even better, correctly calling 100-1 long shot John Isner to win the title. And in 2019, Calvert took down a huge score on Dominic Thiem winning Indian Wells at 80-1.

And in 2021, he nailed both of his bets for the Wimbledon men's singles final: Novak Djokovic to beat Matteo Berrettini three sets to one (+275) and Djokovic to win and both players to win a set (+130). Before this year's French Open, he also pegged Ruud as one of his each-way picks. Anyone following his picks is way up.

Now, Calvert has locked in on the 2022 French Open men's final matchup featuring Nadal vs. Ruud and revealed his best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.

Rafael Nadal vs. Casper Ruud preview

Nadal's fitness was a question mark entering the tournament, but the Spaniard's foot has held up through every challenge. He might have caught a break with the Zverev match ending abruptly. It was on pace to be one of the longest semifinals in French Open history, already at more than three hours with the second set to be completed. Nadal has never lost a French Open final and is a stunning 111-3 at Roland Garros, and he knows time is running out to add to his legacy.

Nadal is likely to focus on tiring his younger opponent with drop shots and hammering Ruud's backhand with his left-handed forehand. The Spaniard also has a superior mark in break chances, averaging almost one per game compared to Ruud's 0.66. Ruud is likely to push the pace, which could lead to unforced errors, and Nadal always limits his mistakes. Nadal's vast advantage in experience combined with the Norwegian's nerves could be the difference.

Ruud's clay-court prowess has finally translated to Roland Garros after he entered this year's tournament with a so-so 7-4 record. He has seven titles on the surface over the past season-and-a-half, and he is 21-5 on clay this season. He won the Buenos Aires event in February and in Geneva last month. He should be more rested in comparison to Nadal, who has played two four-hour-plus matches and was taken to the limit in the two sets in the semifinal.

The players' statistics in Paris have been similar, with Nadal at 112 in combined service points won/return points won and Ruud at 110. And Nadal is at 121 in hold of serve/break of serve, while Ruud is at 114. The Norwegian is very familiar with Nadal, from watching every one of his finals in his youth to practicing with him often at the academy. Ruud's fitness and youth give him a big edge, so if he can control his nerves, he has the skill to really push the clay-court legend.