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How to Bet on Tennis: Step-by-Step Guide for Amazing Wagering Results

by Chris Vasile - 9/13/2018

Tennis player Angelique Kerber

In my honest opinion, tennis is a sport that doesn't get nearly enough credit for being a legitimate source of entertainment as a fan and a legitimately hard game to master. Since you are reading this and have access to the Internet, I'm sure you've heard of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They are the two biggest names in the sport, even as their careers are starting to wind down. The debate between both sets of fans as to who the "G.O.A.T" is rivals that of the LeBron/Kobe or Ronaldo/Messi comparison. Each player, at their peak, has put in performances and careers that are worthy of being consider an all-time great athlete. And to take it a step further, if I include Serena Williams in the conversation, which I should, she will also go down as one of, if not the greatest, female tennis players of all time. Tennis isn't just about hitting the ball over a net. It's a game that requires power, endurance, resilience and a commanding presence. Tennis is one of the most underrated sports in the world, and I'm here to give it the recognition it deserves.

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Betting on the Money Line in Tennis

As a concept, this is the simplest wager you can make on any game in any sport (except soccer). The money line betting option allows you to place a bet on the player you think is simply going to win the match.

Example:

Roger Federer: -150 ML
Rafael Nadal: +125 ML

The money line betting odds correlate to which player is deemed the favorite by the sportsbook. In this example, Federer is the favorite and you must wager $150 dollars to turn a profit of $100. If you prefer Nadal, or just love betting on the underdog, Nadal will return you $125 for every $100 you wager on him.

Betting on the Games Handicap

The "games handicap" is the tennis equivalent of the "point spread". It is a bet that combination of the money line and point spread in order to determine a winner. Typically, game handicaps will be listed anywhere from -0.5 to -7 or -8.

When looking over game handicap betting options for the ATP, you will come across lines that look like the following:

Rodger Federer -3.5 (-170)
Rafael Nadal +3.5 (+130)

Depending on which player you like, he must cover the "games handicap" in order for your wager to be graded a winner.

If you choose to take Federer at -3.5, you will be a winner if he wins four or more games than Nadal over the course of the match. For example, if Federer wins his match 6-4, 7-6, 6-3, the total match count would be Federer 19 and Nadal 13. This means that those who bet Federer -3.5-games would win their bet.

If the sets finished something like 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 in favor of Federer, the total game counts would be Federer 23, and Nadal 22, therefore cashing the Nadal +3.5 tickets.

Betting Game Totals

Betting game totals is the equivalent of betting the "over/under" in hockey, soccer, baseball or football. The sportsbook will set out a line, and it is the bettors' job to determine whether there will be more or less games played than the posted total.

Let's look at an example of a game total:

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal - "Over" 32.5 -110, "Under" 32.5 -110

If you are to bet the "over" 32.5, there must be a total of 33 or more games played in the match in the in order for you to be a winner. If there are 32 or fewer games played, then those who bet on the "under" will cash their tickets.

Something to keep in mind when betting game totals is the fact that most tournaments are formatted for a best of three sets, for women and men, meaning that the highest number of games that can possibly be played is 39 games (7-6, 6-7, 7-6) and the lowest number of games that can be played is 12 (6-0, 6-0). When the major tournaments roll around, (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open), the men play a best of five, so posted totals will be higher and more unpredictable to hit.

Futures Bets

A futures bet is a wager placed in the time leading up to the start of the event on a team or player that you believe is going to win their respective competition. Heading into the start of next season, the odds to win the year's first major, The Australian Open are as followed:

Australian Open Champion: Novak Djokovic +162, Roger Federer +333, Rafael Nadal +550, Andy Murray +1200, Alexander Zverev +1400, Nick Kyrgios +1800, Marin Cilic +2000, Juan Martin Del Potro +2000 and Kei Nishikori +2500.

In order for you to successfully cash your ticket, you must correctly choose the player that will win the tournament.

Tennis Betting Strategy

Because tennis is a singles sport, the first thing I would recommend doing before placing any bet is finding out how each player matches up with their opponent. There are some tennis players on tour that can fire serves of faster than 155 mph (John Isner) but can't return their opponents serve worth a damn. There are some players on tour that have a mediocre serve but are great defensively, which leads to them breaking their opponents service game. Not everyone has the well-rounded game that they desire, so it's on you as a bettor to determine how each player matches up.

The style of play is critical in tennis as well, because he who dictates the play will likely always have the upper hand in any rally and ultimately could hit a winner or force their opponent into making an errant shot.

Another thing to keep in mind when placing your wagers is the surface the event is being played on. Nadal is king of the clay, and everyone should know that. He's got 57 wins to just 8 losses in finals played on clay surfaces, and that includes 11 Major titles at the French Open. On grass, or on hard-surface, while great, he just isn't as dominating as he is on the red stuff.

So, to sum up the betting strategy, it's crucial to be aware of the surface the match is taking place on and the strategy of the type of player you are betting and/or betting against. The matchup will dictate the outcome of the game if both players are playing to win, and if you find a weakness that your player might be able to exploit, don't be afraid to take a chance and watch it play out.

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