Former world No. 1 Simona Halep of Romania tries to deny Serena Williams' bid for history when they meet in Saturday's 2019 Wimbledon final. The match begins at 9 a.m. ET from Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. With a win, Williams, 37, would tie Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles and notch her eighth Wimbledon championship. She lost last year's final to Angelique Kerber in straight sets. On the other side of the court, Halep is playing in her fifth Grand Slam final and seeking her second title, following her 2018 French Open triumph. Sportsbooks list Williams as a -184 favorite (risk $184 to win $100) in the latest Williams vs. Halep odds, with the latter getting +156 (risk $100 to win $156) as the underdog. Williams is favored by 3.5 on the game spread, and you can get +135 (risk $100 to win $135) on the American winning in straight sets, among a slew of wagering options. Before you make any Williams vs. Halep picks and 2019 Wimbledon predictions, see what red-hot British tennis expert Gavin Mair has to say.

Mair is the expert who called Naomi Osaka winning the 2018 U.S. Open championship at 32-1, and over the past two years, he's up an astounding 213 units on his picks to win tournaments and quarters. That means if you had simply placed $100 on each of those picks, you'd be up $21,300.

Before Wimbledon 2019, Mair told SportsLine readers to fade world No. 1 and pre-tournament favorite Ashleigh Barty despite her dominant form. The result: Barty was sent packing in the fourth round, eliminated by the world's 55th-ranked player. Anyone who followed his advice dodged a major bullet.

Before the semifinals, Mair confidently told readers to bank on Williams winning in straight sets, and he said she'd easily cover the 2.5-game spread in the first set. The result: Williams steamrolled Strycova, giving Mair's followers two easy cashes.

Now, Mair has broken down Williams vs. Halep from every possible angle and locked in his Wimbledon best bets. Not only is he picking the winner, he's also betting on how many sets it goes and the exact score of the first set. He's only sharing it all at SportsLine.

Mair knows Williams has won nine of 10 meetings with Halep and sports a sterling 23-8 record in Grand Slam finals, including 7-3 in the Wimbledon finals. Grass is Williams' favorite surface, and while some questioned her fitness entering Wimbledon 2019, she silenced any doubts with a 59-minute thrashing of Barbora Strycova in the quarterfinals. Williams also should benefit from losing Wednesday's mixed doubles match, meaning she will be fully rested for Saturday's final. And after dropping last year's final, Williams is determined not to squander another opportunity to tie Court's historic record.

But just because Williams has dominated the rivalry doesn't mean she'll cruise to another Wimbledon crown Saturday.

Halep has won a major, the 2018 French Open, more recently than Williams, and the Romanian is an explosive talent. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 64 weeks. In the 2014 WTA Finals in Singapore, Halep dismantled Williams in a shocking 6-0, 6-2 rout. All three of their previous Grand Slam meetings have gone three sets.

And now Halep, who's a decade younger than Williams, is playing with more confidence than ever on grass. She's won her last four matches in straight sets and just dismantled the No. 8 player in the world with stunning ease.

"Halep is arguably the most consistent top-level player on the women's tour when Serena isn't around," Mair told SportsLine. "She has the ability to keep Serena honest. There is also an element of doubt over the fitness of Williams given that she barely features on the week-to-week professional tour."

Mair is confident he has the Williams vs. Halep winner, plus he's going big on how many sets it lasts. You can only see his in-depth picks and analysis at SportsLine.

Who wins Halep vs. Williams in the Wimbledon 2019 final? How many sets does it go, and what will be the exact score of the first set? Visit SportsLine now to see Gavin Mair's strong picks for Halep vs. Williams, all from the acclaimed expert who correctly predicted world No. 1 and pre-Wimbledon favorite Ash Barty would be eliminated early.