Tennis Betting

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Tennis is very popular, not only for playing and watch but also for sports betting. It is one of the top five sportspeople bet on. Every self-respecting bookmaker will have tennis betting on their books. 

Many traditions surround tennis. Some habits are outdated, some only weird, and some worth preserving. One of those traditions is betting. Having a flutter on a game during Wimbledon is just as much of the ceremony as eating strawberries and cream. So, why not have a go and become part of that grand old tradition? 


Tennis player making a service on gravel

How to bet on Tennis

Now that you have decided to give betting a go, what comes next? First things first. To place a bet, you will need a bookmaker. You will find most of the bookmakers online. On their website, you can find an overview of all the ongoing and upcoming matches. The odds can vary between bookmakers, so comparing bookmakers is always a smart choice.  To place a bet with a bookmaker (also known as a bookie), you need to register an account as a bettor (a.k.a. someone who places a bet) on their website. Next, you have to put money in your betting site account. Ensure the website’s privacy statement and use a safe banking option (e.g., credit card transfer, PayPal, etc.).

Once you have done that, you are free to place a bet. Select a match, choose your stake, and follow the instructions. If you lose your bet, you lose the money. Did you win? Congratulations! Your winnings will grow your bookmaker’s account shortly.

When placing an online bet, you can never bet more than the amount of money you have placed in your account. Make sure to only play with money you can afford to miss. Betting is never a sure thing. Losing the money you need for other things is just plain stupid.


tennis player on a hardcourt underground

Betting on Tennis for Beginners

Tennis is an ideal sport for beginners. The rules are relatively simple, and the options for betting are limited, which allows you to focus on the players and conditions when selecting your bet. Follow the news and rankings to determine who’s who and their strong (and weak) points. Do they prefer grass or gravel? Having some knowledge of the game, venues, and players are essential when placing a bet. 

Of course, you do not have to be a tennis expert to bet on tennis. If you are looking for some tips to help you get started, there are plenty of tipsters around. They will help you get to grips with the ins and outs of betting. And provide you with the latest scoops when it comes to players. 


Type of Tennis Bets

When betting on tennis, you can place the following bets:

Match-winner: Place a bet on the player you think will win the match. Simple as that. Who will win the tennis match?

The number of aces: How many aces did the players score during the match? How well do you know the players? Some tactical knowledge is required when placing a bet like this. 

Sets won: The winner may have won the match, but with how many sets? This one is a bit more tricky but still good fun. 

Tournament winner: Who do you think will be the overall winner of the tournament? You need to know more about all the players, but the odds will be better. So it could be worth the risk. 


Tennis Betting Odds

Are you ready to crunch some numbers? Odds are the tricky part when it comes to betting: how to read the odds. What are the odds exactly? Odds calculate the likelihood of an event happening compared to the possibility of the event not happening. 

For instance: a tennis match has possible outcomes:

  1. Player 1 wins.
  2. Player 2 wins.

Statistically speaking, the chance of Player 1 winning is one in two. This outcome is what we call the odds. 

Easy right? If only things were this easy all the time. When calculating the odds, other factors have to be taken into account as well. Who is the better player? How many matches have they won already? Is it the end of the season? Grass or gravel? Have they been injured recently? The list goes on and on. 

When placing a bet, you like to have an idea of your possible winnings, don’t you? So being able to read the odds is pretty essential. You need to know if a bet is a good value before you stake your money on it. To make things even more interesting, odds are displayed in three different ways: Decimal, Fractional, and Moneyline.   

Decimal odds:

These allow you to calculate precisely how much money you will get paid by the bookmaker if you win. For instance: 

If you place €10 on a bet with 1.50 odds, you will get €10 x 1.50 = €15 in return. If your gamble pays off, of course.  €15 (your return) – €10 (your original stake) = €5 (your profit).   

The decimal odds are very popular because they are easy to understand. They are most commonly used on the European continent, which is why they are sometimes called European odds. 

Fractional odds:

These odds show you how much profit you will make if you win.   

If you place that same €10 on a bet with 1/2 odds, you will make a profit of 10:2 = €5 if you win. The bookmaker will pay you €5 (your profit) + €10 (your original stake) = €15 (your return).

Fractional odds are most commonly used in the UK and Ireland. 

Moneyline odds:

There are positive and negative Moneyline odds. The positive odds show you how much you will win from a $100 stake. The negative odds show you how much you need to stake to win $100. 

For instance: if you place a $100 bet on +500 odds, you will make a $500 profit. 

If you are looking to win $100, you will need to place $500 on a bet with -500 odds.   

Moneyline odds are also known as American odds or US odds because they are most commonly used in the USA. 

Betting sites spend a lot of time, money, and effort on calculating their odds. They need to make a profit after all. If you are comfortable reading these odds, you will compare their calculations with your expected outcomes. If your predictions are better than theirs, you stand to make a nice little profit.

Professional tipsters have turned this into an art form. To them, it doesn’t matter who is playing who. They are only looking for any miscalculations the bookmakers might have made and place their bets accordingly.

If you can also check out football, horse-racing or mma. Here below you see the most recent reviews on tennis betting.