Main Types Of Tennis Betting
When betting on tennis, the big distinction to be made is between single match bets and antepost bets, i.e. on the winners of tournaments or on particular situations, such as reaching number 1 in the ATP (i.e. professional men’s tennis players) or WTA (the female equivalent) rankings. Bets on individual matches are divided into pre-match bets, before the first point is played, and live bets.
Is betting on tennis worthwhile? Tennis is the sport of choice for bettors, after football of course, but before basketball, volleyball and so on. But more than football it lends itself to technical analysis, because to consider yourself an expert it is enough in essence to know 200 players, maximum 300, those who really live on tennis. Know 200 football players,
Match Winner
This is the most intuitive bet, you have to bet on the player who is expected to win the match. Saying that Federer will win, quoted at 1.62, means you will earn $62 net if Federer wins and lose $100 if his opponent wins. Bets are usually considered valid if a tennis player retires during the match, but this depends on the individual bookmakers. If a player withdraws or is disqualified before the start of the match then bets are refunded at odds of 1.00, i.e. you get your money back.
Set Winner
You must bet on the player you think will win a particular set. Usually only the first set is bet on before the match starts, while the odds for the subsequent sets come out live. There is no rule with respect to the odds of the match: usually a Barty quoted at 1.25 will be quoted as winning the first set at a slightly higher price and the opposite reasoning applies to the underdog.
Winner Game
You have to predict who will win a given game, usually game by game with live odds. Obviously the odds will be lower than on matches for the serving player and even more so on grass or other fast surfaces.
Games Won with Handicap
Betting on the number of games won, minus the handicap which can be one game or more. A classic bet to be placed on the underdog tennis player.
Point Winner
Betting on the tennis player who you think will win the next point. Typically a live game with proportionally lower odds than the match for the serving player.
Ace Winner
Betting on the player who will score the most aces during the match. Not necessarily the strongest player or the favourite.
Total Games in the Match
Betting on the total number of games played by the two players, depending on the balance between the two opponents and especially on their propensity to “give up” the set when they realise it is lost.
Correct Score
Betting on the final or partial score of a match, exact per game. It’s not always a guess, because especially on fast surfaces many scores are similar.
Tie Break in the Match
Betting on whether or not there are tie breaks, whoever wins them. Clearly if both players have a great serve the odds will be low, conversely if they are players who in their games of serve to put the opponent in play.
Partial/Final
A bet that links the outcome of a set, usually the first, to the final outcome of a match. The highest odds are obviously those that link the first set won by the favourite player and the final victory of the theoretically weaker player.
The events and situations on which to bet in tennis are almost infinite (tie-breaks, double faults, breaks, etc.) and it can be done, as in almost all other sports, in a single or multiple way, i.e. linking various matches or game situations, producing a higher odds (given by the multiplication of the single odds) but also a risk that increases more than proportionally. One of the riskiest bets, in proportion to the expected profit, is undoubtedly the antepost bet on the winner of the tournament, since there are so many variables in tennis.