If you try to name five of the most popular sports in the world, inevitably ‘tennis’ may cross your mind. Therefore, it is not surprising that tennis is also one of the top sports markets that is favoured by the seasonal and the expert punters. Regardless of your knowledge on betting in this market, we have tried to present to you a detailed guideline on how to bet on tennis online. Read along the following tips and tricks to know all the ins and outs of betting on tennis.
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What is Tennis?
Tennis is a highly entertaining sport that is both fast-paced and action-packed. The history of this sport dates back to the 19th century when it was widely recognized as ‘lawn tennis’. However, the well-acceptance and the recognition of this sport gradually made it more like the ‘real tennis’ that we see today. A typical tennis match takes place between two players, each of whom has a tennis racket and plays with a tennis ball. Depending on the format of the game, the dimension of the court changes.
Tennis Match
Usually a 1.07 cm high net is placed in the middle of this rectangular court. There are basically two ways to play tennis. Either it is played as singles (one player on each side of the net) or doubles (two players on each side of the net). In the beginning of the match, one player throws the ball high, hits it with his racket and sends it to the player standing on the opposite side. The other player hits it back and sends it to the thrower.
Tennis Court Info
The whole point of this process is to stop the opponent from sending the ball to the other player which can be done by making the opponent throw the ball into the net or outside the lines of the court. If the sender fails to hit the ball during the reception, that counts as a point loss. The game continues like this until the match is over and one player wins by gaining the highest number of points. A single game can be won by scoring four points and at least two additional points than the opponent. While each set consists of six games, each match consists of three or five sets. Usually the professional matches use the three sets format and major events like the Grand Slams use the five sets instead.
How To Bet on Tennis?
Being one of the most enjoyed sports in the world, tennis is featured in all the sportsbooks that offer a countless number of bet types that can be placed on hundreds of matches happening in different regions of the world.
888Sport Tennis Markets
However, the most common types include money line betting, handicap betting, parlays etc. which are briefly discussed below:
Money Line Betting
In this type of betting, you simply bet on the winner of the match. As the game has only two players, this type of betting is relatively easier than the others. This is mostly why it is the most popular betting type in tennis like in every other sports.
Handicap Betting
Handicap betting may differ in different betting sites as the bookmaker sets the margin. Here, one player is given a particular number of sets or games which they are predicted to have as advantage over their opponent. The bettor has to bet on whether the player with the + handicap will win or whether the player with the disadvantage will win the match with – handicap.
Live Betting
Live betting is available in tennis in almost all the online betting sites. Live betting is one of the most chosen betting types by rookies and professionals alike. The reason is that in live betting, you can enjoy the game and assess a player’s condition in that particular match. This helps you to determine the potential outcome and bet accordingly.
Totals
In totals betting or over/under betting, instead of betting on the winner, you can place bets on the total number of games in a match. This is similar to handicap betting in a way that the bookmaker sets a margin of how many games will take place before the match is finished and won by a player. Bettors can place bets on over the set figure or under the set figure.
Parlays
Parlays refer to a combination of several bet types. In this bet, you can place wager on multiple types of bets. If you are having a lucky day and all your predictions come out right, you will win the parlay rewards. While this is very hard to win parlay bets, the attractive bonus that comes with it, is totally worth the try.
Specials/ Prop Bets
In this type of bet, you may face some interesting markets which vary in different betting sites. Usually the bookmakers offer these additional types of bets. The more diverse the prop bets are in a site, the more thrilling it becomes to bet at that sportsbook.
Betting on Tennis: Understanding the Rules
Betting on tennis is pretty simple as the sport consists of only a handful of rules and regulations. However, it may depend on the bookmaker who may have a few betting rules of their own. While a few rules may vary depending on the bookmaker, in most cases, standard rules are maintained.
- At least one serve is required in a match for the ‘Ball Served’ bet to stand.
- At least one set is needed in a match for the ‘1 Set Completed’ bet to stand.
- At least two sets must be completed for the ‘2 Sets Competed’ bet to stand.
- The entire match must the finished for the ‘Match Completed’ bet to stand.
Tennis Sports Markets
Just so that you do not fall behind when it comes to the most trending markets in tennis, here are some markets that you will see in all the sportsbooks.
Correct Score
Set aside for more expert gamblers, this market allows the bettor to bet on the exact score line of a match or a set. It is pretty hard to win this bet, as a result, the odds are very high.
Set Winner
This is a popular market especially for the rookie bettors. Here, one can place bet on a player to win a certain set (first, second or third). As this is a quick a fast-paced bet, this offers fun and convenience alike.
Tournament Winner
A market where the bettor can bet on a certain player to win the tournament. As a tournament lasts for two weeks, bettors tend to place bets as soon as the tourney begins.
Winning Margin
Punters can bet on the number of the games needed for winning a match.
The Break
Bettors place bets on the possibility of a tie-break on a particular set or anytime during the whole match.
Tennis Odds
Odds in any bet are the indicators of how much a bettor will win from that particular bet if his prediction comes true. There are three ways to represent odds which are known as fractional, decimal and money line. While the money line format is more popular in Canada, you can also go for other types if your online bookmaker offers so. To help you understand the odds, let us give you an example. Suppose, a player is listed at -200 odds. -200 US = 1/2 in UK or 1.5 in EU.
ATP Odds at 888Sport
It indicates that this is the player’s chance of winning the match according to the bookmaker. Now, if you place $10 as a bet on this player and he wins the match, you will get ($10×1.50= $15.00) where your stake is multiplied by the odds and gives you a profit of $5.
Major Events in Tennis
Though tennis is played in many regions, the betting parts focus mostly on the major events where all the star players gather and compete against each-other. The world of tennis is glamourous, exciting and rewarding, bits of which fall into the betting arena as well. Therefore, it is very important to know about the major tennis events. Apart from the less hyped up Challenger Tour, Fed Cup, Davis Cup etc., here are some of those events that you may check out.
Grand Slams
Each year four major tennis events take place which are referred to as Grand Slams. Australian Open (hardcourt), US Open (hardcourt), French Open (clay) and Wimbledon (grass). Each tournament has a duration of two weeks.
The stadium of Wimbledon tennis centre court in London, UK
The four grand slams starts in the mid January and lasts till September with pauses in between. These are the highest valued tournaments in tennis and all the best players take part in it.
Olympics Tennis
As you know, the Olympics is held every four years, where tennis is one of the most attractive sports that lures fans from all over the world. In case you missed the last Olympics, you can take part in the next one occurring in Tokyo, 2020 where the star players will participate.
ATP
ATP is the abbreviation of Association of Tennis Professionals. They organize tour competitions in which the male professional tennis players can take part. If this is your first time in this sport, you can keep an eye on this event as it introduces potential star players every year and helps ranking the men’s performances.
WTP
WTP or Women’s Tennis Association works solely for the female tennis players. This tour comprises of many beauties with talents who draw attention of tennis fans from all over the world. Like the ATP, WTP helps in ranking the female tennis players.
Tennis Favorites
Novak Djokovic
This super star tennis player who is currently ranked number 1 in tennis, can be considered as a top competitor in the 2019 Grand Slams season. Losing only 3 matches in his last 38, Djokovic is one of the most favorite tennis players to the fans and the bettors alike.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia
Roger Federer
Currently one of the oldest players in professional tennis, Federer has an envious number or awards and trophies already which shows why he is a pretty safe bet for the punters.
Rafael Nadal
Another tennis champion is looking forward to bag more trophies in the 2019 who is currently +550 favorite to win the upcoming Australian Open. As Nadal is almost always a favorite when it comes to tennis, bettors are eagerly rooting for this ‘king of clay’.
Serena Williams
Even after giving birth to a baby girl, Serena Williams is still a threat to the number 1 player, Simona Halep. As the winner of the majority of the Grand Slam titles continues to prepare for 2019, the punters also keeps their eyes locked on the champion.
Serena Williams of USA
Our Top Tennis Tips
Here are some handy tips to get you going with betting on tennis:
Check Out Previous Records
You can check out the players’ head-to-head records in a particular court. This is mostly because depending on the surface of that court, the speed of the player and the ball may vary and later have impact on the overall performance.
Bet on the Higher Value
Finding the higher value in a match is a bit tricky but with proper research and knowledge of ‘value’ in a bet, you can win more or save yourself from losing money.
Go for Online Betting
For gaining better odds, larger sports markets, extensive coverage of competitions, better bonuses and rewards etc., go for online sportsbooks rather than the land-based ones.
Seek Better Odds
Instead of sticking to one betting site, browse a few different sportsbooks to check out which one offers the best odds. This is a great method which takes time but comes in handy.
Tennis Betting FAQ
What is a ‘hold’ and a ‘break’?
If a player wins the game on his own serve, it is called a ‘hold’ and when he wins the game on his opponent’s serve, it is regarded as ‘break’.
Where can I bet on tennis?
Almost every online bookmaker offers betting on tennis. To ensure that you are going for a renowned site with good reputation, you can check out our recommended online sportsbooks that feature this popular market.
Tennis Betting Guide Conclusion
Now that you know the basics of betting on tennis, the only difference between you and a successful punter is a good betting site. If you do not have any account in a good sportsbook yet, check out our tennis betting sites review and find the right one right away!