Are you ready for some tips for betting on tennis? Tennis might not be the most popular global sport. It may not even be among the top-five, but it’s a great sport for experienced and beginning bettors alike. Betting on tennis can provide tons of value and fun.
The season runs nearly all year long, beginning with the Australian Open in January and running until the ATP/WTA Finals in November. There’s multiple tournaments every week on which to bet.
Because of the long and arduous season, tennis can be a grind even for the world’s best players, meaning it can sometimes be unpredictable.
There are many ways to bet on tennis, but one of the most popular is a futures bet on which player will win certain tournaments.
If you’re betting on the men’s winner of one of the four Grand Slams (Australian Open, Wimbledon, French Open, US Open), it’s foolish to not bet on either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. Although their window may be closing; Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer, who is now retired, have won all but 11 Grand Slams since 2004. That’s one of the most absurd stats in sports.
Tennis bettors can also engage in match betting. There’s typically a favorite, and an underdog based on past performance and head-to-head records. How much you can win is determined by your wager and the betting odds. Favorites don’t always win, obviously, and there’s often good value to be found in underdogs.
Here are some tips to help you find strong value wagers when betting on tennis.
Player Record on Surface
Tennis matches take place at different venues all over the world. They’re also played on different surfaces (clay, hard court, indoor hard court, and grass). Some players, naturally, play better on some surfaces than others.
Rafael Nadal, for instance, is one of the best players of all-time, but he wouldn’t have the same level of reverence if it wasn’t for his mastery on clay. Nadal has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the French Open, which is played on clay. He’s known as the “King of Clay” and, as such, a bet against him on the surface is almost like throwing money away.
There are many websites online that list player records on different surfaces. If the betting favorite has a worse winning percentage on the current surface, it might be a good idea to bet the underdog. There are, however, additional factors to consider.
Tips For Betting on Tennis – H2H Record
Head-to-head record is another great resource for betting on tennis. Djokovic, for instance, is arguably the greatest tennis player of all-time. He’s tied with Nadal for the all-time record in men’s singles Grand Slam titles. Both players have captured 22 Grand Slam events.
There are times when he’s at his peak that it seems as though nobody could ever beat Djokovic, but you’d be surprised to learn he actually has a losing record against several players on the ATP Tour. If you’re a casual fan, you might not even have heard of Jiri Vesely, but he actually has a 2-0 record against Djokovic. He’d clearly still be an underdog in another match, but that’s a useful stat to know.
There are also many sites that show H2H records against certain players. Simply search “Player X and Player Y H2H” and you’ll find a bunch. Most even list the results of the matches with details like when they happened and on what surface they were played.
Tips For Betting on Tennis – Hot/Cold Streaks
It’s also important to look at a player’s past performance before making a bet. The big-name or top-ranked players will usually be listed as favorites. That’s because the general betting public is going to back them based on name recognition. This occurs even if they’ve been playing poorly as of late. Sharp bettors know to do their research and look at things like playing surface, H2H record, and recent performances.
Again, let’s assume Djokovic is still a top-five player in the world but has lost in the first round in two of his last three events. Tennis is a mental game. Any string of poor performances can certainly impact a player’s ability to perform at the level to which they’re capable. Djokovic might be heavily favored against a wildcard in the first round. The fact he has been struggling could be an opportunity for a major upset.
Conversely, keep an eye on lower-ranked players who are quickly climbing the ATP/WTA rankings. A player might be ranked well below their opponent and be the betting underdog despite the fact they’ve performed better as of late.
Line Shopping When Betting on Tennis
As a general rule, avoid going to the sportsbook of your choice to look for matches. Seeing betting odds will influence your choices. Instead, look up the matches of the day and do your research before finding an appropriate bet where you think there might be good value and a high chance of success. Then, check around at multiple sportsbooks to see which one offers the best odds.
Whether it’s for the match outcome, set betting, or props; sportsbooks all have slightly different odds for each outcome. The difference might only be +125 compared to +120 for an underdog to win the match, but that adds up, especially if you’re betting a significant amount. For instance, a successful $100 wager at +120 pays out $120. The same $100 wager pays out $125 at +125. Every dollar counts when betting on sports, so be sure to maximize your profit by line shopping before making a wager.
Watch the Match for Live Bet Opportunities – Tips For Betting on Tennis
If you’re making several bets, it might not be realistic to watch every match. However, it’s a good idea to watch if you plan on making live bets. Odds will change based on the score of the match. If you’re watching, you can see how the match is shaping up. That will help you in placing live bets that have value.
Take a Nick Kyrgios match, for instance. He might be heavily favored and winning a match 2-1. However, he’s been known to lose his cool easily and get frustrated which affects his performance. If you’re watching live, you can use this as an opportunity to place an in-game bet on the underdog.
