Tennis Betting Guide 2024 – How to Bet on Tennis

Tennis is one of the most popular sports around the world, with millions of fans that turn in to watch major tournaments like Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open each year. Along with the excitement of watching the sport, many fans also prefer to add to the thrill of the experience by betting on tennis matches. In this digital age, tennis betting is significantly simplified with a huge array of online betting portals.

This guide will give you an overview of betting on Tennis, explain the various bets on offer, and give you tips for maximising your potential returns.

How Tennis Betting Works

Tennis betting is a popular form of sports betting that allows fans to put their knowledge to the test by predicting the outcome of tennis matches or events. From simple match-winner bets to more complex set betting and handicap betting, there are many different ways to wager on tennis matches.

To place a bet, you can choose from various real money options at top betting sites, which typically display odds in American format. Depending on whether the bet is placed on the favorite or underdog, odds may be presented as positive or negative figures indicating the amount of money needed to risk or win $100.

Popular Types of Tennis Betting Markets

Whether you’re a seasoned bettor or just starting, understanding the various tennis betting markets can help you make informed decisions and increase your chances of success. Here are the popular types of tennis betting markets.

Moneyline Bets 

Moneyline bets are tennis betting involving picking a match’s winner outright. When placing a moneyline bet, you choose which player you believe will win the match. In tennis betting, moneyline odds are displayed in American odds format, with positive or negative numbers indicating the favorite and underdog.

Spread Betting

In tennis spread betting, the bookmaker assigns a handicap to the favorite player by a specific number of games or sets. In turn, the underdog receives equivalent games or sets to level the playing field. As a result, the bettor places a wager on whether the favorite will win by more than the spread or if the underdog will lose by fewer games than the spread.

Totals

In totals betting, the bettor wagers on the total number of games or sets that will be played in a match, regardless of who wins. For example, a total bet might be placed on whether a match will have more or less than 22 games played in total.

Handicap

Handicap betting is a popular form of sports betting where a bookmaker or betting site creates a level playing field by giving an advantage or disadvantage to a particular team or player. In handicap betting, a favorite team is handicapped by subtracting points from their final score, while an underdog team is given a head start by adding points to their final score.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are wagers on individual events that might occur within a match. Examples include whether a particular player will win the first set, whether there will be a tiebreaker played in a specific set, or on which player will record the most aces.

Futures

Futures bets are placed on events that will take place in the future, such as who will win a particular tournament or who will finish the season ranked number one. These bets are often placed well in advance of the event in question.

Parlays

Parlays combine multiple individual bets into one larger bet. The catch is that all the bets must win for the parlay to pay out. Parlays can offer big payouts, but the increased difficulty of winning means they are also high-risk wagers. For example, you might parlay the moneyline bets on three different tennis matches.

Live Tennis Betting

Live tennis betting allows bettors to place wagers during a match, with odds and lines adjusted in real time as the match progresses. This allows for more dynamic and strategic betting, as you can respond to changes in the match as they happen.

Our Top Tennis Betting Tips

Coming up with an optimal tennis betting strategy can be overwhelming with the sheer number of markets available. To help you get started, we’ve compiled our top tennis betting tips.

Look out For the Best Available Odds 

Each sportsbook will often offer different prices, so it is important to compare them and find the most favorable betting odds. Tennis can often have significant deviations, so by browsing around at different online betting sites, you can find the sportsbook that offers the best price for the bet you’re looking to place, which will maximise the potential return from your bet.

Follow Tennis Tipsters and Expert Predictions 

Following multiple tipsters and experts from social media or websites, can be a wise move to enhance your chances of success in tennis betting online. These individuals provide predictions and insights for upcoming games and players, giving you access to various data sources and diverse perspectives. According to recent data, Tennis is the fifth most popular game to bet on in the USA, and there are plenty of experts available sharing Tennis betting predictions daily.

Claim Bonuses

Online sportsbooks typically offer new customers a welcome bonus or free bet, an excellent opportunity to start betting on tennis without risking your money. You can place a free bet using these bonuses, maximising your chances of winning by risking less of your own money. For a full list of the best Tennis bonuses you can find, head over to our page reviewing the best Tennis betting sites.

Start Simple

When betting on tennis, trying out various betting options and strategies can be tempting to increase your chances of winning. However, one of the most simple tennis betting tips is to avoid complexity, which can often lead to confusion and mistakes, especially for beginners. It is recommended to keep it simple and stick to basic bets, such as backing a player to win a tournament or match, rather than complex parlay bets which have a limited chance of success.

Take the Small Wins and Profits 

Most punters look for ways to increase their earnings and take home life-changing amounts. While this is good, it may only happen once if lucky. However, you can build a consistent source of betting revenue by looking for consistent small edges and small profits.

Bet With Your Head, Not Your Heart

Simply, avoid making bets where you might have an emotional investment in the result. Avoid betting on your favorite player without subjecting them to analysis and scrutiny like other players. Misplaced confidence in your favorite player can affect your judgement when making a sound bet.

Biggest Tennis Tournaments to Bet on 

There are plenty of thrilling tennis matches to bet on throughout the year, with the Grand Slam tournaments being the most prestigious. Larger tournaments also tend to have more betting markets available, with many additional prop bets and in-play tennis betting which may not exist for smaller competitions. However, many other big-money events offer hard-fought matches and great betting opportunities.

Grand Slam Tournaments 

The International Tennis Association is in charge of the four Grand Slam competitions, which are the most esteemed tennis competitions. These competitions receive the most media coverage, and athletes are mostly evaluated on their achievements at these competitions at the end of their careers.

Australian Open

The Australian Open is held in Melbourne and is called the “Happy Slam.” It is the only Grand Slam event to hold night events for the men’s singles championships and to play indoors. It is played on a hard court.

French Open

The Grand Slam tournament is the French Open or the Roland Garros, and is played on clay. It is usually played on clay grounds. It is the most grueling match to win due to the physical demands of competing on harder clay grounds.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is played on grass and is the most prestigious and oldest tennis tournament in the world. No event receives as much video coverage as Wimbledon; just making it to Center Court is an accomplishment.

US Open

The US Open is a major tennis tournament played on a hard court and held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City every August and September. With five championship events and top players competing, it’s a thrilling event to bet on and a must-watch for tennis enthusiasts.

Other Big Tennis Events

The ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals and the WTA Women’s Tennis Association organize yearly events that offer hard-fought matches and great betting opportunities.

Billie Jean King Cup/Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is the only men’s tennis competition in which teams, instead of individuals, compete. The Billie Jean King Cup was introduced in 1963 as the Davis Cup for women. Australia, the US, the Czech Republic, and Russia are the only nations to have hosted both competitions simultaneously.

WTA/ATP Finals

The WTA and ATP Finals are among the most prestigious tennis tournaments, second only to the Grand Slams. These events serve as the end of the WTA/ATP tours, encompassing multiple yearly tournaments. ATP Finals is also called the “Fifth Grand Slam” because of their significance in tennis.

Olympics

Tennis has been a summer Olympic sport since 1896. After being discontinued for a few decades following 1924, tennis was completely reintroduced in 1988. Nowadays, earning an Olympic Gold is called a “Golden Slam,” making it almost as esteemed as winning four Grand Slams or Grand Slams.

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