Betting on Tennis

The beauty of tennis betting is that you can unearth some very competitive odds if you are able to delve below the surface and find some opportunities. This dedicated guide will help you get up to speed when betting on tennis.

Where to Find Tennis Betting

How to Place Tennis Bets

Now that you know where to find competitive tennis betting odds, it’s time that you learned how to start placing your wagers:

• • Sign up with a sportsbook: Use your mobile or desktop device to visit your preferred sports betting website and then pick the registration option.

• • Submit account details: A new betting account must be filled out with details such as username, password, name, date of birth, address, and other fields.

• • Identity verification: UK sports betting websites will often verify the identity and ages of new players by requesting details from an active credit/debit card.

• • Get the deposit deal: Ensure that you unlock the intro offer to give yourself some additional bets or bonuses to help out with your wagers, but make sure to read the terms and conditions.

• Make that bet: Now, you are ready to go bet on that next Major, be it the Australian Open, Roland Garros, or Wimbledon.

Tennis Betting Markets Defined

Tennis matches contain so many different actions and outcomes, but this variety can present a wider range of betting options compared to many other sports. Here is where you can get definitions and explanations for some of the leading markets out there.

Popular Tennis Betting Markets

There are lots of markets to choose from, but generally you will see that the following are more common than others:

• • Correct set score: You can back a winner and improve the odds even further by selecting the exact set score (e.g. 2-1 or 2-1, but 3-2, 3-1, or 3-0 for the men’s Major tournaments).

• • Correct match score: This alternative approach enables you to back the correct number of matches and winner of a specific set.

• • Total sets in a match: You have the option of backing for over or under 2.5 sets to be required in a match.

• • Total games in a match: This is another over/under bet, but this time you will pick a level of games for the whole match.

• • First set games: In this case, you focus on the over/under games for just one set (e.g. over 9.5 games).

• First set game score: This is a market where you pick the winner and the exact games score in a set (e.g. 6-4 to the winner).

Handicap Bets

There are times when backing a favourite is not appealing because they yield only minuscule odds. Well, this is a prime time to back them in a handicap bet, where they get higher odds because a negative score is applied to their chances of winning.

Double Result Bets

Tennis is not a sport where every outcome is expected, and double result betting can enable you to have improved odds by forecasting a player to lose the first set, but win the entire match. Perhaps a highly active player might suffer a slow start, only to rebound and claim the match.

Set Bets

In set betting, you are electing to back one player to win with an exact score. At Wimbledon, this might see you back a female competitor to win 2-1, whereas you see the male final being a relatively secure 3-1 outcome.

Betting In-play

Live tennis betting is not quite as comprehensive as the pre-match markets, but you can stand to make gains by watching out for swings in form and momentum. Included among the top in-play tennis betting markets are the winner of the next game, current set, and entire match.

Tennis Odds Explained

You have no way of knowing the precise formulas that are used for calculating and then adjusting tennis odds based on various outcomes. However, it is still a good idea to understand how tennis odds work and the factors that can have an impact.

Match Winner Odds

In sports played between two competitors, the odds are often unenticing when there is a clear favourite involved. At Wimbledon, for instance, Serena Williams might get priced at only 1.40 to beat one of the relatively unknown players.

Williams has been long-standing world-number one, whereas the unknown could be as far back as 8.00 if she is below 30th. These rankings do have a strong bearing on odds, but so can player strengths, court surfaces, head-to-head, form, injuries, and more.

Odds for Wider Outcomes

The outcome is much clearer when backing the winner, which is why the wealth of other markets can be even more appealing. By comparison, it is more unpredictable to call the over or under for the number of sets.

Going back to the Williams example, her odds of 1.40 to win outright can be lengthened if you are willing to back her winning set score. For instance, you might be able to get 2.10 for Williams to win 2-0, but you could go bolder and that say she will win 2-1 for 3.50.

Tennis Betting Strategy

The web is filled with sites offering free tennis betting tips, but you can keep matters in your own hands and do some research for yourself. These are only some of the many factors to integrated in your thinking:

• • Analyse the competitors: For the next major tournament, take a moment to analyse the crowds of male and female competitors involved in the respective first rounds. What are their odds to win the tournament? Perhaps there is an outsider who could potentially make a run for the title at 15-1.

• • Learn about the players: The web is filled with helpful profiles, statistics, and biographies of professional tennis players. You should really take the time to read about the top competitors and understand their strengths and weaknesses.

• • Playing surface: There are players who are capable of winning on every surface, but even they will be weaker on grass, clay, or hard courts. You must understand this because tennis tournaments are played on different surfaces.

• • Tournament records: Would you have fancied going against Roger Federer during his years of Wimbledon success? Some players do better at certain tournaments, and this can be especially true for players who reach quarter- or semi-finals.

• • Personal rivalries: There have been plenty of British tennis fans who have backed Andy Murray during his encounters with Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer, but the Scot often struggles against fellow titans of the sport.

• • Current form: You should take the time to see how players have performed in the last few tournaments before. For instance, Queens Club in London holds a grass tournament just before Wimbledon begins. This often acts as an indicator of who is primed for success in the Major.

• Player condition: This is a factor that changes frequently over an entire season. You might have liked the idea of backing a resurgent Rafa Nadal for the next French Open, but this could become riskier if the Spaniard has been carrying a hip injury in previous weeks. Always make sure to do a quick injury search before betting.

Advice for First-timers

Please be aware that tennis betting is not something that can be entirely perfected, but you should aim to improve your results by refining your strategy. Check out these final tips if you are just starting out:

• • State a budget: Whether it’s an afternoon, day, or tournament, you should select a budget and stick to that. Stop playing when it’s finished and then regroup before starting again with a clear head.

• • Small stakes: There is no harm in sticking to smaller bets while you try to navigate the many betting markets in tennis. This is a time of learning where some mistakes could be made – going to high is a much greater risk.

• • Set a winning target: In a sport like tennis, you might decide that tripling your stake is a fair target. This step is important because it protects you from sticking around for too long and whittling down your winnings.

• • Never chase losses: It is inevitable that punters who chase losses will start acting erratically and begin backing players and markets for which they have no understanding. This will leave you no better off than playing a scratch card.

• • Use the account limits: Online sports betting sites will give you the ability to implement deposit limits on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This can be a useful measure to help you stay in control.

• Use the features: bet365 gives players access to dedicated mobile apps and even the chance to stream tennis tournaments online. It’s always worth exploring to see your site’s full list of features.

This online tennis betting guide is just what you need when starting out – make sure to come see it again if you need a recap on anything.