Things to consider when betting on tennis

Things to consider when betting on tennis

Things to consider when betting on tennis
Autor betsonly 12 Mar 2019

An explanation as to why tennis betting is so popular, factors to consider when betting on players and an overview of some of the most popular tennis betting markets.

Globally, more money is bet on tennis than any other sport, except football. It is easy to see why. Tournaments are played virtually all year round on a variety of surfaces, with the various tours, including the major ATP (Men) and WTA (Women) events, as well as feeder leagues like the Challenger and Futures tours. This means that, somewhere in the world, there is a match or a tournament on which to bet, almost every day.

Given its popularity, there are, as might be expected, numerous ways to bet on the sport, whether betting online before a match, suitable for beginners, or for more experienced gamblers, the excitement of In-Play Betting, whilst a match is actually in progress.

To maximise your chances of success with tennis betting, it is vital that you invest the time to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player before you place a bet on them. Whilst their world ranking might be one consideration, that is not the only factor. What type of surface are they playing on – hardcourt, clay or grass – and does this suit their game, if they like to serve-volley, or play from the baseline? Are they in form, or are they making their way back from injury?

And what is the head-to-head record like of the two players against each other? One player may be much stronger than then other on paper and in terms of tournament wins but, sometimes, but, sometimes, one just may have a mental or psychological edge over the other.

Another factor to bear in mind can be the weather. Some of the Grand Slam Events like the Australian and US Opens can be played in extreme temperatures or humidity, which can affect different players in different ways. They may be supreme athletes, but the human body is not made to play sport when the thermometer is above 40 degrees Centigrade, or the air is so thick it is hard to breathe. Some players cope better than others, so check out who has struggled in the past.

If you do want to bet on tennis, then some of the most popular markets are Match Winner, Set Betting, First (or subsequent) Set, Handicap, and Total (or overs and unders) Games.

Match Winner

Match Winner is a bet simply will win the match. As with any form of sports betting, it can be difficult to make money betting on a heavy favourite, as their odds will be very short.If you do choose to bet on a favourite, then you might want to consolidate and combine your bet into an accumulator or parlay bet, where you are betting on the outcome of several matches at the same time. This will increase your chances of making a decent return.

Set Betting

Set betting is based on the principle that you are wagering on the number of sets in a match, and the correct score – for example, Serena Williams toElise Mertens by two sets to one, or Roger Federer to overcome Diego Schwartman by three sets to love.

First (or subsequent) Set Winner

A popular form of tennis betting is to wager on the outcome of individual sets, and many online bookmakers allow account holders to choose which player will win the first, second or third sets. Set betting works on a similar principle to match betting, except that, in this case, the player is betting, not on the whole match, but on the outcome of one set. Similarly though, as with match betting, you will not get good odds supporting a heavy favourite.

Handicap Betting

Handicap betting is a way used in a variety of sports by bookmakers to even the odds by handicapping the favourite with a number of games or sets. The favourite has to beat their handicap for the bet to be won. For example, if Simona Halep was expected to beat Venus Williams, and was given a handicap of -3.5, then a bet on a 6-4, 6-4 victory would still win. This is because the total number of games won by Halep with her handicap of 8.5 (12 – 3.5) would still be greater than the number won by Williams (8).

If, however, you bet on Angelique Kerber to beat Madison Keys by two sets to love with a handicap of -1.5, and she only won by the odd set in three, then the bet would be lost. This is because Kerber’s handicapped score of 2 would be less than Keys’ adjusted total of 2.5 (1+1.5).

Total Games

Total Games betting is also popularly known as overs and unders, and is a bet where you are wagering on the number of games which will be played in a match. The bookmaker will set a number and you bet on whether the games played will be greater (over) or less (under) that number. So, if you predict a close match you may bet over, or if you expect a one-sided encounter, under. As ever, in the event that the total number of games played is exactly the number predicted by the bookmaker, the result is declared a tie and void, and the original stake returned to the player.