Keen to bet on tennis but not exactly sure how to go about placing a wager? We get it–bookies can be intimidating sometimes with their dozens of different betting markets.
Here’s a look at some of the most popular betting markets when it comes to betting on tennis, and how to make the most of each. By the time you’re done, you’ll be chomping at the bit to put your skills into action!
To Win Match
The first and most simple type of tennis betting is the market for a match winner. This is as straightforward as it sounds, and involves wagering on who you think will win a tennis match.
For example, you might pick Alexander Zverev to defeat David Goffin at the French Open.
A pro of this type of bet is how simple it is. So whether your guy wins in straight sets, or goes the distance, you’ll be getting paid if you picked him.
Things to look at when making a bet on this market are:
- Head-to-head between the players
- Previous form of both players
- Historical results on the surface the match is being played
- Any injury concerns
- Overall ranking of each player
Looking at these five factors will usually give you a good idea of who’s going to win the match. Paying attention to the surface is important–a player might be great on hard courts, but once they get to clay, their serve slows up and movement becomes ungainly.
A con of this betting market is sometimes it can be hard to extract much value. Particularly early on in Grand Slams, plenty of mismatches occur that yield very low returns on the match winner market.
Handicap
A way to get slightly more value from your tennis betting is by wagering on a player’s handicap.
For example, Zverev playing Goffin in the second round of the French Open might be given an -8.5 handicap.
This means that for the bet to pay, Zverev will have to defeat Goffin by a margin of at least nine games. Winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 would do it, since that would put Zverev on 18 games total, and Goffin with nine.
To have success in this wager, it’s important to look at all the same factors you’d look at when betting on a match winner. However, pay close attention to the scoreline of previous results. Have players been winning tight matches? Do they tend to finish strong and bagel opponents? This will all play into whether or not betting on a player’s handicap is a smart bet.
Most bookmakers typically make this market feel like it’s a 50/50 call, and reward it with similar odds–somewhere around 1.70 to 2.10 usually. This means that regardless of how one-sided a match is expected to be, there’s always a chance to generate a decent return.
Equally, this market is always limited to modest payouts, given the way a handicap is adjusted to fairly reflect the contest. Some bookmakers, such as William Hill, will offer a range of handicaps. These vary in their risk level, and offer opportunities to bet on this market at longer odds.
Set Betting
Set betting involves betting on the specific scoreline of a match.
For example, you might predict that Zverev will defeat Goffin 3-1.
Correctly predicting the set score gets into much more lucrative territory. Think a player is going to go to sleep for half an hour and drop a set in a match they’re favourite to win? Back them to prevail 3-1 and there’s a good chance you’ll net yourself a healthy payout if your hunch is correct.
Set betting provides more options for the nuance of different match-ups.
There are also markets for total number of sets, which is a variation of set betting. For example, Zverev vs. Goffin to be four sets total. If you think a match is going to be tight but can’t decide on a winner, this allows for the possibility of either player winning.
As a result, returns for total set betting are lower than on specific set betting.
Over/Under Games
Over/under games is the love child of total set betting and player handicaps. It involves betting on how many games there will be in a match.
For example, Zverev vs. Goffin to be under 29.5 games.
This market is similar to total set betting, in that it allows for the possibility of either player winning. Two evenly matched veterans squaring off with a penchant for epic five setters? Back the over games market.
Similar to player handicaps, however, bookies adjust this market to reflect how many games there are likely to be in the match. This will be set close to the 50/50 point, usually with returns of about 1.80 either way.
This means that over/under games is great for flexibility when you can’t decide who’s going to win, but will never net you a hugely lucrative win. However, William Hill offers expanded total game markets, where you can increase or decrease the number of games to extract a more lucrative payout.
Specific Prop Bets
Some major bookmakers offer close to 100 markets for each tennis match. Many of these markets are quite niche, and are known as proposition bets. In essence, this means betting on a particular thing to happen or not happen within the match.
Examples of prop bets in tennis include:
- Number of aces
- Number of double faults
- Number of service breaks
- Score in first service game
- Total tiebreaks in the match
The list goes on, and includes almost anything you could think of. Prop bets are fantastic when you’ve nailed down a particular pattern of play or have a hunch about how you believe a match is going to unfold.
For example, you might believe that Zverev is going to hug the baseline and put pressure on Goffin’s second serve. Because of this, you might bet on the number of double faults that the Belgian will serve across the match.
Live Betting on Tennis
For those who are truly confident betting on tennis, live betting takes your gambling to a whole new level. Often, bookmakers will offer a range of live odds for tennis matches that aren’t accessible prior to a match starting.
These markets are often quite detailed and timely. For example, take a recent match between Victoria Azarenka and Mirra Andreeva at the French Open.
Here, we can see that bookmakers are offering odds for what the exact score will be in the third set. Ahead of a match starting, markets are only available for betting on the exact score of the first set.
There are also even more detailed markets available. For those who are quick decision makers, you’ll see Azarenka vs. Andreeva had the option of betting on the score of specific games. These markets are only available for brief windows, often less than a minute.
Though live betting presents less opportunities to weigh up options and make slow, deliberate decisions about your bets, it can still be very lucrative for those who approach it prepared.
The best strategy for live betting is to have done your research beforehand.
For example, in this match between Andreeva and Azarenka, you might have studied each woman’s previous results the last 12 months. You will have noticed that Andreeva has a penchant for performing better than usual at Grand Slams than in regular WTA matches.
You might also have noticed a pattern of Andreeva breaking in the first game of a set, once she’s had time to ground herself after the changeover. As a result, you could make a quick decision to wager on Andreeva winning the first game of the third set to love.
Equally, if there’s been a break in a set, live betting odds for a tiebreak will naturally increase. However, if your research has shown that Andreeva often falls behind a break and claws her way back into sets, you might want to look at taking that wager when the odds are most lucrative.
Ready to put some of this betting knowledge into action? Head over to William Hill and try your hand now. With the ATP and WTA Tours in full swing, there’s plenty of matches to be wagered on.
