With the start of the 131st edition of Wimbledon, now’s a good time to learn how to bet on tennis. By wagering on your favorite matchups, you’ll feel more invested in the outcomes. Here are six ways you can get in the action.
1. Match Betting
The simplest way to bet on tennis is to bet on the winner of a single match, which is known as match betting. Find your favorite match out of our many options, and you’ll see moneyline odds attached to both sides. The underdog’s odds are a positive (+) number, which is the amount of money you’d win based on a $100 bet. For example, in a Luca Vanni vs. Frederik Nielson matchup, Nielson is a +245 underdog. You’d win $245 on a $100 bet.
The favorite’s odds are negative (–). For example, Vanni is a –370 favourite in the aforementioned match, so you’d win $100 on a $370 bet. The payout is lower because Vanni’s odds of winning are higher.
2. Totals: Over/Under
If you’re unsure who will win a match, you can choose to bet on the total number of sets a tennis match will have. Before a game, oddsmakers make a prediction on the total number of sets, and you bet if you think the total will be over or under that number.
For example, for the David Ferrer vs. Steve Darcis matchup, the total is 3 ½, with the over set at –170 and the under +130.
3. Spread
Betting on the spread, otherwise known as handicap betting, is an appealing alternative to match betting when there’s a clear favorite. The more lopsided a match, the lower the favorite’s payout is going to be, so to create value bets, oddsmakers offer spreads.
The spread is a number that the favorite must exceed in order for bets to pay out. It’s not enough for the favorite to just win, she must win by x points to pay her backers.
For example, in the Ekaterina Makarova vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova match, Kuznetsova is the 1.5-point favorite. She must win by more than 1.5 games for a bet on her to pay out.
4. Set Betting: Winner and Correct Score
With set betting, you can bet on who will win a three-set match as well as the correct score.
An example is the Angelique Kerber vs. Kirsten Flipkens match, which offered the following set betting options:
2-0 Kerber
2-1 Kerber
2-0 Flipkens
2-1 Flipkens
5. Tournament Winner
The tennis futures market is where you’ll find Tournament Winner, or Outright Winner bets at Bovada. You’ll find major tennis events there, including the 2017 US Open, and even events as far away as the 2018 Australian Open. Simply bet on who you think will win the tournament outright.
6. Live Betting
A lot of people enjoy the ability to bet live while watching tennis matches. You can bet on total games and the moneyline as the event progresses.
With six different ways to bet on tennis, you can pick the type of bet that suits your style. Best of luck and enjoy the action.