Our informative tennis betting guide will help you understand the game better.
Gain a better understanding of the types of bets you can use, the most popular tournaments, where to watch, and betting strategy to help make a success of your tennis betting.
Tennis Betting Guide
The game of tennis has long been linked with betting, and now betting online. If you trace it back to the middle ages in France, gambling on tennis was evident. The scoring system of tennis was also formed during this period.
- 60 can be broken down into 15’s to 45, 30, and 15, some of which will ring a bell to those who follow tennis.
- 60 Deniers was also believed to be the maximum one was allowed to bet on tennis in Germany back in the middle ages, providing yet another link to tennis and betting.
Before we take a closer look at tennis betting online, let’s find out more about the sport itself.
Tennis Game Basics
Tennis is a sport commonly played between two individual players. This is called singles, but it is also possible to play with two players on each side, and that’s known as doubles.
Singles are the most popular version of tennis and are played over a specified number of sets.
- For male professional players in Grand Slam tournaments, they play the best of five sets.
- Female players in Grand Slam events, they play the best of three sets.
Each set is made up of games.
The first player to win six games wins the set. This is unless they are level at 5-5, in which case a player must win 7-5, and if the score reaches 6-6, a tie-break is used.
Players take turns to serve in each game, and the server has an advantage in that they begin each point.
The points in a game start at 15 and move to 30, 40, and the game. If the players are both on 40, this is called a deuce, and a player must win by 2 clear points.
Tennis Tournaments
The Grand Slam tournaments are the most popular, and there are four per year. They are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. These are the main events the players want to win, and they are also a favourite of gamblers.
- Australian Open
- French Open
- Wimbledon
- US Open
While there is almost always a tennis match on which to bet every day throughout the year, this is what makes tennis betting big business. The Grand Slams see the most betting action. Tennis is similar to golf in that respect.
Other popular tennis events for betting include ATP Tour Finals, WTA Tour Finals, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and the Olympic Games.
However, as mentioned above, you will find many events available for tennis betting throughout the year. These include the Challenger Tour and the ITF Pro Circuit.
You may also find some nice special offers at bookmakers when the Grand Slams are taking place.
Who has won the most Grand Slam Tournaments (Male) since October 2020?
Tennis Betting Odds
Now you know how the game works and the biggest tournaments, let's look at the tennis betting odds.
Tennis odds work in much the same way as other sports.
- You will find tennis odds available online in fractional (3/1), decimal (4.00), and American (+300).
- All good bookmakers will allow you to use one or more of these odd types to bet on tennis.
The odds reflect what the bookmaker believes is the likelihood of an event happening. The longer the odds, the more unlikely the bookmaker believes a player will win a match.
An example is if a player was listed at odds of 1.65.
Knowing this will help you understand tennis betting odds and work out what makes a good bet.
What Are the Most Popular Tennis Betting Markets?
The most popular tennis betting market is to place a bet on a player to win a particular match within a tournament. Think of it like betting on a team to win a football match without the option of the draw to add to the problem.
Match Win Market
Simply choose which player you think will win the match.
The odds for a heavy favourite will be very short. So making a lot of money on backing the big favourites is not easy.
If you can use your knowledge to pick an upset or you find odds that you think offer great value, match betting is a good option and a great way to get started with tennis betting.
Set Betting Market
Set betting is another popular tennis betting market.
This is where you bet on the number of sets you think will be played during the match and the final outcome.
For example, you could select Novak Djokovic to defeat Rafael Nadal 3-2 or Naomi Osaka to defeat Serena Williams 2-0.
First Set Winner Market
The first set winner is also worth considering when betting on tennis. This involves choosing the player you believe will be on top in the first set.
So, if you know a player likes to make a fast start or there is a player who always takes their time to get going, the first set winner could be a profitable market.
You can also bet on the winner of the second set and so on, thanks to in-play betting. We will discuss this tactic shortly.
Total Games Market
Total games, which are often referred to as over and under, involve betting on the number of games you think will be played in the match.
With this type of bet, the bookmaker will predict several games and you must bet on whether you think the match will finish with over or under that number of games played.
So, if you expect the match to be a one-sided affair, you would bet under. However if you think it is going to be close, you would bet over.
Handicap Betting Markets
Handicap betting is the perfect tennis betting market if you want to bet on a match which has a heavy favourite.
This can often be the case during the early rounds of the Grand Slams thanks to the player seeding system.
The favourite is handicapped by a number of games or sets and needs to overcome that handicap to win the match in terms of the bet.
So, if Roger Federer was given a game handicap of -3.5 and he won 6-4 6-4, that would be a winning bet.
Federer has won a total of 12 games, which with his deduction of 3.5 games means he has 8.5 games to his name.
The opponent only has 8 games, meaning Federer has won in terms of the bet.
These are just some of the betting markets available for tennis and a great place to start.
Tennis In-Play Betting
In-play betting on tennis has become a vital component of any online bookmaker. If you visit an online bookmaker to place a bet on tennis and they do not have live betting available, you are advised to look elsewhere.
The main reason being it can turn a very quick profit if you know what you are doing.
To use in-play tennis betting to your advantage you must have a good knowledge of how live betting works and the principles of a tennis match.
If you do not have a deep understanding of the flow of a tennis match, you are advised to wait until you do before betting in-play.
It is possible to bet in-play on the outcome of a specific game and set during a match, even to small details such as the score of a game.
You can also trade your pre-match bets to lock in a profit.
This is a good way to secure a return if you are not sure your initial bet is going to win come the end of the match.
Live Stream Tennis Bookies
Live streaming has been available for some time and can prove extremely useful when betting on tennis. Although following live statistics can help, nothing beats following the match using live streaming.
Actually seeing the players in action, following their progress, their current mental state, the way they are playing, serving and returning is worth its weight in gold when betting in-play.
Many of the top online bookmakers have access to live streaming for professional tennis tournaments around the world.
You will need to either have money in your account or placed a bet within the last 24 hours to access the live coverage.
However if you are betting on the match, you will already have qualified.
Tennis Betting Tips & Strategy to follow
- Tennis betting is a form of gambling and with any gamble, there is a chance you can lose.
- You should never bet more than you can afford to lose.
- However there are some tips you can use to give your tennis bet the best chance of winning.
Before we look at a specific strategy, there are some things to keep in mind when betting on tennis which will help.
Tournament Surfaces
Firstly, you must understand the different playing surfaces and how they impact on the game.
Tennis is generally played on hard courts, clay courts and grass courts.
You only have to look at Rafael Nadal to understand why the playing surface is so important.
The Spaniard is known as the ‘king of clay’.
You would never back a player to defeat him at the French Open. That is unless there was an obvious reason to do so.
Player Form and Injury
That brings us the next tip, which is form and injury.
A top player could be carrying an injury which means he/she is not going to perform to their best level in the match.
That could mean a chance for the underdog to come through and cause a shock at great odds.
Likewise, a player maybe seeded high in the draw based on their play over the past 12 months but over the last two months, they have been struggling.
Do your research and if a seeded player is carrying an injury or is out of form, it could be an opportunity to make a good profit betting on tennis.
Head to Head Record
Always check the head-to-head record between the players before betting on a tennis match.
For example, Novak Djokovic has 25 wins to Andy Murray’s 11 in the 36 times they have met to date.
The last 16 times they have met, Djokovic has won 13 times, with 10 of those wins coming on hard court surfaces.
Based on this information, if they were to meet on that surface again, Djokovic has the edge.
Indoors or Outdoors?
You must also consider the impact of the match being played indoors or outdoors, the difference between serving and receiving plus the motivational levels of the players involved.
Using the above tips, you should be able to place well informed tennis bets.
Tennis Betting Strategies
If you would like to follow a tennis betting strategy and try and take the risk away, you can bet on all outcomes of a match to ensure you make a profit.
Betting on All Outcomes
To do this takes a little work and the profits are not going to be huge.
- However, do it more than once and it soon adds up.
- You must work out the amount of money required to bet on each player to win the match to make a profit.
- You must place each bet at a different online bookmaker and whichever wins, you are guaranteed a profit.
Live Tennis In-Play Betting Strategy
However, other tennis betting strategies have some form of risk and will often involve live betting.
- If you find a match with a clear favourite, place a small bet on the underdog before the match begins.
- If the favourite fails to open an early lead, their odds will lengthen slightly.
- You can then back them to win 2-0 or 3-0 in sets, depending on the format of the competition.
In most cases, the favourite will go on to win the match comfortably but if they do not, you have covered yourself with the bet at the beginning.
Knowing when to spot value is important when using this strategy.
Total Games Betting Strategy
Betting on total games is also a good strategy.
- Do some research and look for two players who have very strong service games, especially on grass courts.
- Once you have identified a match, you can place a bet on their being a high number of games in the match knowing you have done your research.
Betting on tennis can be a lot of fun. If you are willing to put in the work, it can also be profitable.