Tennis Betting Strategy
The fast action and athleticism of tennis make it one of the great spectator sports in the world. These factors also make it a great sport to bet on; the head-to-head action means that it’s not much different from betting on a team sport. This makes it ideal for gamblers who are used to betting on sports like football, baseball and soccer but are looking for additional action.
Types of Tennis Bets
There are essentially three types of bets in tennis. First, you can simply bet on who will win a given tournament as a future bet. Several players will be listed at various odds, and additionally, there may be a field bet that covers all other players.
Secondly, you can bet on individual matches. This is also simple; you’re just betting on who will be the winner, regardless of how it happens. These matches feature odds that look like the following:
Roger Federer -300
Andy Roddick +250
Finally, there’s also the “set” bet. These bets require you to pick not only the winner, but in how many sets they will win the match. Alternately, you may also see bets based on whether or not a certain player will win at least one set, the total number of games played in a match, or whether any tiebreakers will be played.
Typically, all of these bets will be offered as money line bets. There is rarely, if ever, any sort of spread betting when it comes to tennis.
Tennis Betting Tips
One of the first things you’ll notice about tennis betting is that the odds on individual matches can be extremely one-sided when compared to other sports. The one-on-one nature of the sport means that some players will simply dominate lesser competition, making for some very lopsided contests. In some cases, a dominant player like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal can be as much as a 100-1 favorite or more to win a given match!
Of course, it should almost go without saying that matches at those odds are not worth betting on. Even though these players will inevitably win these matches virtually every time, crazy things do happen, and injuries are always possible as well. The risk is simply not worth the tiny rewards that come from laying such steep odds.
In the later rounds (or in earlier round matches between more evenly matched opponents), the odds start to come more in line with what you’re accustomed to seeing in other sports. At this point, many factors are critical in determining how you should place your bets. One of the biggest factors in tennis is the surface being played on. There are many specialists who excel on grass or clay courts, but struggle on other surfaces. This is even true for the very best players, so keep an eye on surface at all times before making a bet.
It is also critical to understand the relative importance of a given tournament. Smaller tournaments see more upsets, as the top players will sometimes give less than 100% as they save energy for the Grand Slam events. These tournaments are also more upset prone because, on the men’s side, the matches only feature three sets; during Grand Slam tournaments, the men play five sets (women, conversely, always play three).
Tennis handicapping can be difficult, but by taking into consideration a player’s form, the surface, and the tournament, you can find plenty of opportunities to make a profit from betting on tennis. Just like with any other sport, research is critical, but with enough work, tennis betting can be a great way to boost your sports betting bankroll.
