Indian Wells Masters Day 1 Tips: Back Zapata Miralles to shock Humbert

• Keep an eye on Nakashima's first few games

• Zapata Miralles big price on Betfair Exchange

• Read Dan's outright Indian Wells preview

Isner and Nakashima meet in all-American clash

Despite the seeds not getting into the tournament until Friday at the earliest, there are fascinating clashes on day one of the Indian Wells Masters as the event gets underway.

One which caught my eye is the all-American clash between John Isner and Brandon Nakashima, with the younger American, Nakashima, the marginal 2.021/1 underdog.

If there was any guarantee that the Nakashima on court tonight was the one who ended the season so strongly with victory in the Next Gen Finals, I'd be keen on the market price.

However, he's 1-3 for the season so far, having missed six weeks following the Australian Open, and that's enough to concern me ahead of this clash with his big-serving countryman.

Isner himself has had some injury concerns, withdrawing from Delray Beach a few weeks back with a knee injury, and subsequently lost to Taylor Fritz in his opener in Acapulco. The anticipated slow conditions are also unlikely to suit Isner, but this is a match where I'd be keen to check out the first few games before thinking about any position.

Schwartzman's chance to register rare win

Another player who has had a tough start to the season is Diego Schwartzman, who is 1-6 for the year with his one win coming against a player barely ranked inside the top 200. This comes off the back of six consecutive defeats towards the end of last season as well, so Schwartzman is actually 1-12 in his last 13 matches.

Such a dreadful run of form is clearly not a positive but the Argentine does face a drop in opposition level today. His countryman Federico Coria having a very poor record indeed on hard courts, and a potential shoulder injury.

Schwartzman is 1.574/7 to get the win and I'm half-tempted to think he can get back to some semblance of winning ways here tonight - he won't get many better chances in the near future.

Humbert a vulnerable favourite

Continuing the theme of players who are out of form, Ugo Humbert is favourite at 1.584/7 for his meeting with Bernabe Zapata Miralles, and this is a line I'm surprised about.

The Frenchman has plummeted down the rankings, just about keeping a top 100 spot after being ranked 25 not so long ago, and has a woeful record in slower conditions.

I'm not fooled by Humbert's run to the final of the Pau Challenger indoors recently, with a very weak field ensuring he didn't face a single opponent ranked inside the top 150. It will take more than that for me to think Humbert is back to a decent level.

Conversely, Miralles has been playing some very solid tennis of late, reaching back to back semi-finals on clay and losing to the eventual winner of the tournament in both of those matches.

He's beaten decent opposition in those, including four top-50 scalps, and the slower conditions should suit the Spanish clay-courter. To me, the 2.6613/8 underdog price on him looks big.