ES 
NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
Expert Guide to Tennis Betting
If you’re interested in tennis betting, you should start by identifying a few key players you’ll follow throughout the tournament season. Check up on their stats and performance, and pick your wagers based on their strengths.
This expert guide to tennis betting will show you the types of wager you can place on tennis, how to find betting value, which events to watch, and much more.
Best Tennis Bets Today
Types of Tennis Bets
Tennis bets are fairly simple. You have straight wagers, such as the moneyline, for outcomes, and you have spread betting for sets, games, and points. Plus, there are game handicaps, props, and over/unders.
Each wager has a different value of risk based on the odds, probability, and time frame. Generally, futures and props are the riskiest, while moneylines and game handicaps tend to have the least amount of risk.
Here’s a detailed look at the popular wagers sportsbooks offer on tennis events:
Match Outcome (Moneyline)
The match outcome wager, the moneyline, is the simplest wager. You bet on which player will win a specific match (e.g., Men’s Singles Final: Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev).
Favorites have negative odds (e.g., -200), meaning you wager more to win less. Underdogs have positive odds (e.g., +180), meaning a smaller wager returns a higher profit if they win.
In the above example, if Arnaldi has -275 odds, you’d have to wager $275 to win $100. If Martinez has odds of +220, you’d win $220 from a $100 wager.
Set Spread
This wager focuses on the margin of victory in sets, not just the winner. Imagine a match with a set spread of +1.5 for Medvedev.
- Medvedev +1.5: He can win outright (2 sets to 0 or 2 sets to 1) for you to win the bet. He can also lose in 2 close sets (1-2) and the bet pushes (you get your wager back).
- Djokovic -1.5: Djokovic must win in straight sets (2-0) for you to win.
Set spread betting isn’t as popular as game spread betting, which we discuss next.
Game Handicap
A game handicap in tennis betting gives the underdog a head start in games, while the favorite needs to win by a certain margin to cover the handicap.
- Positive Handicap (+): This is given to the underdog (e.g., Player B +3.5 games). It means they are starting the match with an imaginary lead of 3.5 games.
- Negative Handicap (-): This is given to the favorite (e.g., Player A -2.5 games). It means they need to win by at least 2.5 games more than the underdog for your bet to win.
Here’s an example of the game handicap for the Martinez vs Arnaldi match:
Let’s say you place a bet on Martinez +3.5 games and the actual match score is Martinez 4, Arnaldi 6.
Without the handicap, Arnaldi wins the match 6-4. But, with the handicap, Martinez’s actual score is 7.5 (4 + 3.4 handicap). And since 7.5 is more than Arnaldi’s 6, you’d win your wager.
Handicaps allow you to wager on your favorite player even when they play tougher opponents you know they cannot beat. If they lose the actual match, as long as they win by enough games to cover the handicap, you can walk away with money in your pocket.
Over/Under on Games
This wagers on the total number of games played in a match (not points). Here’s an example of the odds for the over/under on the Martinez vs Arnaldi match:
- Over 21.5: The match needs to have at least 22 games for you to win.
- Under 21.5: The match needs to have 21 games or less for you to win.
Both wagers have negative odds, since it’s hard for sportsbooks to decide which is more likely, they price them equally. In this case, both the under and over require a $115 wager to win $100.
Props
These are wagers on specific events within a match or tournament, not directly related to the winner. Examples include:
- Will a set go to a tiebreaker? (Yes/No)
- Which player will record the most aces?
- Will the tournament be decided in five sets?
- How far will a specific player advance? (e.g., Will Player X reach the quarterfinals?)
Props can provide a bit of zest to your betting portfolio, but they’re difficult to accurately predict, making them riskier overall.
Industry’s Best
Handicapping Membership
How Can You Find Tennis Betting Value?
Betting value in tennis can be hard to pin down because so many upsets happen at each tournament, it’s hard to predict which players will succeed, and which favorites will fail. However, you can close the gap a bit by using these three practices when hunting for value.
Analyze Stats In Advance
Looking at a player’s overall win rate might be a good way to gauge their recent performance, but understanding their strengths and weaknesses requires more in-depth statistics.
Analyzing stats like first-serve percentage, return win percentage, and unforced errors can highlight a player’s strengths (powerful serve, strong return game) and weaknesses (prone to errors, weak backhand).
These statistics can help you predict how a match might unfold. For instance, a player with a strong first serve and high aces count might dominate serve games, while an opponent with a good return game could create more break opportunities.
Read Tennis Betting Forums and Identify Trends
Tennis betting forums can be a valuable tool to identify potential betting trends, but it’s important to use them critically.
Look for threads discussing upcoming matches. Experienced members might share insights on player form, historical matchups, and surface suitability. These discussions can help you identify trends in player performance or public opinion toward certain outcomes. Punters Lounge, Men’s Tennis Forum, and Reddit all have active members who are discussing current matchups and tournaments.
However, not all forum users are experts. Evaluate the credibility of the information based on the user’s history, analysis quality, and overall reputation within the forum. Always make sure you do your own research to back up any betting suggestions you find in forums.
Sign Up for Picks and Predictions
Tennis betting picks can help you build a bankroll while you’re still looking for betting value of your own design. ESPN, CBS Sports, and dozens of other news publications publish picks and predictions, and just glancing over them can give you a good idea of what trends to follow.
If a pick marks one player as a heavy favorite, but another pick opts to back the underdog, try to understand why. Is there a factor you’re not considering? Working out these little details can be the difference between a winning wager and a close-but-no-cigar scenario.
Scores and Stats has a wide variety of tennis betting picks you can use as reference.
Tennis Events to Bet On
Tennis is a pretty widespread sport, with tournaments across the world. However, the most prestigious events are the Grand Slam tournaments, of which there are four:
Australian Open (January)
The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open is played on hard courts in Melbourne. The Australian Open is known for its exciting atmosphere and hot weather.
French Open (Late May – Early June)
The only Grand Slam played on clay courts, held at Roland Garros in Paris. Renowned for its grueling baseline rallies and iconic red surface.
Wimbledon (Late June – Early July)
The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, played on grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. Famous for its strict traditions, white clothing requirement, and manicured lawns.
US Open (Late August – Early September)
The year’s final Grand Slam is played on hard courts in New York City. Known for its electric night matches, passionate crowds, and vibrant atmosphere.
While not instilled with the raw competitive energy of the Grand Slam tournaments, there are a few other notable mentions:
- Summer Olympics
- Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup
- ATP/WTA Finals
- ATP/WTA Masters 1000
Tennis Betting Advice
If you’re looking to get into betting on tennis, or simply want to get better at finding value, here are a few tips you should follow.
Don’t Rely on the “Favorites”
Tennis is a sport where individual matchups and form on a specific day can matter more than rankings. Lower-ranked players can have a good chance against favorites if they have a good head-to-head record, the surface favors their style, or the favorite is coming off a tough match or injury.
Plus, the favorites, like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic tend to have low odds at sportsbooks because they are dominant players in almost every matchup. Because upsets are common, especially in the later parts of Grand Slam tournaments, it’s not a bad idea to root for the underdog.
Change Your Strategy for Men’s and Women’s Tennis
There are a few subtle differences between men’s and women’s tennis, so you should change how you think about betting on them, too.
Women’s tennis uses a best-of-three-set format, compared to the best-of-five for men in most major tournaments. This shorter format gives less room for the favorite to assert dominance, leading to more upsets and closer matches.
If you can identify a strong underdog in women’s tennis, with a good recent performance or a matchup that favors their style, you might find better value for your bet.
Additionally, bets on total games played or sets won might be more reliable than just picking a winner due to the potential for closer matches and service breaks.
Surface Matters
Each surface (clay, grass, hard court) plays differently. Clay courts are slow, with a high bounce, favoring strong baseliners who excel at long rallies. Grass courts are the fastest, with a low bounce, rewarding players with powerful serves and aggressive play. Hard courts offer a middle ground, accommodating diverse styles.
As you’re looking to pick players to wager on, examine their record of wins and losses. What types of courts did they excel on? Which gives them trouble? A favorite player on one surface might struggle against a lower-ranked player who thrives on the current court. For example, a big server might be less effective on clay, creating an upset opportunity for the underdog.
Live Bet Where Possible
Tennis matches can be dynamic, with momentum swinging back and forth. Live betting allows you to see how players are performing before placing a bet. If a favorite starts sluggishly, you can hold off. Conversely, if an underdog seems energized, you can jump on a potentially good bet.
Live betting also offers a wider range of wagers than pre-match bets. You can bet on things happening during the match, like who will win the next set, the total number of games played, or even whether there will be a tie-break. This allows you to exploit specific situations within the match.
As the odds update constantly based on the match flow, you might find situations where the odds don’t quite reflect reality. For example, if a player is down a set but starting to play much better, you might get a good price on them winning the next set.
Use a Handicapping Service
Unless you have a lot of time on your hands (or you’re really enthusiastic about tennis betting), it can be difficult to find the right betting value. The time investment into research and shopping for lines can easily feel like a job.
We’d recommend that you check out a handicapping service. Not only do handicappers and pro sports bettors have the time and experience needed to make good picks, they also have access to loads of information that average bettors might not. They make use of proprietary betting statistics and other metrics to make wagers with high chances of success.
You don’t have to bet along a handicapper’s picks verbatim, though. You can always analyze the trends they bet to identify patterns. Oftentimes, this kind of indirect insight can go a long way in informing your betting habits.
Love Tennis Betting With the Right Wagers
To be successful with tennis betting, you need to have the right information at your fingertips. Advanced statistics like first serve percentage and unforced errors are high-value metrics that can help you make informed wagers.
The best time to bet on tennis is during one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, as tensions are high, and the upset potential is palpable.
As you’re working on picking tennis wagers, check out our selection of predictions and free picks. And if you’re impressed with the value, consider signing up for our premium subscription. You’ll get access to loads more data and picks from our handicappers.
Industry’s Best
Handicapping Membership
