Tennis Betting Guide 2023: How to Bet on Tennis Explained

The sport of the nobble features 4 player styles, 3 courts, and 2 options – play or spectate to all the fans watching the matches. With the right tennis betting site, you can exploit every betting line under one condition – learn how to bet on tennis accurately.

To become tennis betting savvy, you must master a few major topics, like the wager types, tennis betting terms, things to consider when placing a bet and how to land a reliable betting site online.

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The following article contains all the helpful information needed to help both experienced and inexperienced punters bring better and wiser decisions.

How to Pick the Best Sportsbook for Tennis Betting

Being a tennis punter requires finding a reliable sportsbook to place your bets. If you’re a rookie reading this guide, we did your homework and picked the best betting sites to place your bets at.

Check out our list below:

DraftKings

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Opened in 2012, DraftKings is among the first legal sportsbooks that appeared in the US. With their dedication to the business, DraftKings became one of the most recommended betting sites for tennis that offers excellent odds, betting options, and additional bonuses.

With experience in the betting world since 2012, the tennis section is abundant with options. There are good old classic betting lines like Moneylines, spreads, set bets, and many more.

You can bet on the line you feel most confident in winning, from sets to players. Additionally, here you have the option of live betting, where you can use the tactic to bet during the game and get closer to the win.

Now that Wimbledon is over, the next big fish for our tennis idols is the ATP Tour, then the Australia Open. The odds are already there, even for the big tournaments next year.

Apart from straightforward betting, DraftKings offers promos and freebies for which it takes place on our best tennis betting apps list. Every newcomer that registers at DraftKings gets entitled to a welcome bonus. With only a $5 minimal deposit, you unlock the welcome bonus of $500 to use on your favorite betting sites.

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FanDuel Sportsbook

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FanDuel is also another in line with the very first legal and reliable sports betting sites. Along with DraftKings, they manage to turn their newcomers into loyal customers. Although FanDuel is also popular for other sports, the tennis section is definitely not humble.

Here you have the traditional betting lines that include the Moneylines, Futures, Spreads, and so on. You may find the live betting option most attractive as it features exclusive partnerships and is info-based. There is displayed all the information you need to make your best call.

Furthermore, the tennis betting odds are also on another level. There are exclusive over/under odds and the game/set spreads. You can find exclusive tools like the Parlay Builder to help you make several bets on several matches, regardless of put on specific sets or the final score.

FanDuel provides more exciting promos for its faithful and new punters. Our favorite bonus is the $1,000 No Sweat First Bet sign-up bonus. Newcomers. after registering at FanDuel, can claim this bonus and make an initial bet. If they lose the bet, then they receive a return of $1,000 in free bets.

sign up to fanduel >

BetMGM Sportsbook

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BetMGM first appeared in the US in 2018. Since its inception, the operator has been dedicated to promoting excellent betting lines to members and climbing higher on the ladder of online tennis betting.

Nowadays, BetMGM is one of the best online tennis betting sites because of the abundant options at the player’s disposal. For example, there are excellent Moneylines, game bets, set spreads, totals, and even tiebreaks. You can pick the one that suits you most.

BetMGM is also famous for promoting high underdog odds. However, we all know that tennis cannot be solely based on recent players’ results. In other words, underdogs may surprise the spectators with determined gameplay.

Apart from the exclusive betting lines here at BetMGM, we must mention the bonuses to which every customer is entitled. If you register on their page for the first time, you can claim a bonus of up $1,000 in risk-free credits and use it on your favorite tennis betting line.

Plus, if you refer the site to a friend, you get up to $50 in credits. So, if you’ve never placed tennis bets before, but you want to spice up your day, then simply register to the official site, and take advantage of the promotions and perks available at the operator.

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Caesars Sportsbook

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Caesars Sportsbook earned its name as a brick-and-mortar casino with outstanding bonuses and promotions that transitioned on a sports note as well.

Nowadays, Caesars sportsbook is among the best tennis wagering sites on the online tennis betting market because of the competitive tennis betting odds.

The tennis section of this sportsbook is not only rich in options and odds but also generous. There are many awards at all times; you just have to follow the site for all the current offers.

Live betting is something you’d want to explore as an option at Caesars. You can place your bet on a given match with tons of options that could lead to a possible win. Moreover, there are the classic betting lines involving the Moneyline, prop bets, game or set spread, etc.

Registering at the sportsbook and making Moneyline or prop bets on tennis games is simple. Other sports are also well covered, making Caesars one of the most professional and placing it among the best tennis wagering apps.

Finally, as said, Caesars doesn’t only offer rewards to its loyal bettors. There are freebies for their existing and new punters. If you’re new to their site, you can bet up to $1,500 risk-free on your initial bet. If you lose the bet, you get back the amount you wagered as free bets. So, either way, it’s a win-win.

sign up to CAESARS >

BetRivers Sportsbook

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BetRivers holds high credibility among bettors. It’s super convenient for newbies because it’s easy to navigate and understand. It is so because they created the site in bettor’s shoes.

BetRivers is another optimal place to test your betting knowledge and luck, but let’s see what makes it special.

Besides being a worry-free inline tennis wagering site, BetRiver provides all kinds of betting lines supported with the latest and updated real-time information on the matches. That allows you to make the perfect call and possibly become a step closer to an epic win.

The odds offered are competitive and excellent in all major tournaments, including ATP Tour and Australia Open in 2023.

A live betting option is also available. You can place your bets pre-game or during the match. Regardless if you opt to place a bet during or before the match, BetRiver offers excellent odds for Grand Slams, WTA, ATP doubles, and ITF Women. For instance, during the last French Open Grand Slam, the odds reached up to +100,000.

BetRivers is a great host to ardent punters and knows how to welcome newcomers to its site. With the new welcome deposit bonus, you can place extra bets and hope for a win.

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Betting on Tennis 101: Wager Types and Betting Terms Explained

If you’re just getting into the online tennis betting world, you should be cautious with the bets so you don’t lose extra cash. Learning the tennis betting terms, basic betting lines, and all tennis betting rules is a must.

To learn how to wager on tennis, you must become familiar with the basic betting lines. There are a few good betting lines for tennis that are available in all major sportsbooks. Below we go through the main wager types, so you learn how to read the betting lines and place your money in the future.

Moneyline

The easiest and most recommended betting line for rookies is the Moneyline. You bet on the player you believe stands greater odds of winning.

A Moneyline has a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign. The minus denotes the favorites, while the plus stands for the underdogs.

For example, if you see Novak Djokovic (-120) on the Moneyline against Sascha Zverev (+110), you have to bet $120 to win $100 if Djokovic denies the victory to Zverev. If Zverev is +110, then you may win $110 with only $100 staked.

Game Spread

Another option for betting on tennis is to wager on the game spread. Tennis matches frequently feature large odds since single-participant sports have less unpredictability than team sports; therefore, the spread helps to level the playing field.

For example, if you see Zverev’s line is -1.100 favorite against Ruud’s in a 3-set match, the game spread may vary somewhere at -4.5.

In other words, Zverev would have to win five more games than Rudd during the match to cover the spread. The final result should be (6-2, 6-3). If Zverev wins (6-4, 6-4), and you have placed wagers on Rudd +4.5, then you win the bet.

Futures

The futures odds are straightforward betting lines. In this betting line, you bet on which player will win a particular tournament.

The odds are predicted based on the overall player performance in the past. Expect to find the highest ATP player taking the first futures odds. Here’s how the US. Open Futures Odds in Men’s Singles look like

If you bet $100 on Novak, you’ll win $150. But, if you bet on Daniil with the same stake, you’d win $225.

Over/Under Betting

The over/under is a simple betting line based on the number of sets you predict to occur during the match. Here we’re not speaking specifically about a particular player but the overall match structure. Usually, you have 2.5 over/under odds.

The 2.5 means the prediction is that the match will endure 2 straight sets. If you think there will be two sets, you bet on under 2.5. If you believe there will be more sets, then you bet over – it’s that simple.

However, remember that tennis matches are either best-of-three or best-of-five sets, and there is no other way. Every player must win six games to win a set.

However, if there’s a tie situation of 6-6 for the set, as is often the case with Djokovic and Nadal, then the players play a tie-breaking game.

Handicap Betting

Handicap betting is often misunderstood or proclaimed as a difficult betting line when in fact, it’s super-straightforward.

The betting method is explained in the title. To understand it practically, let’s say you have two players: take Djokovic +2.5 vs. Nadal -2.5.

In this battle, you bet on the player’s weaknesses or “handicaps.” If you believe these two opponents have a weak spot that leads to losing a game, then you place the bet and boost the odds of the other.

So, in the case we’ve mentioned above, if you bet on Djokovich, then during the game, Djokovich should lose three sets, and Nadal must win 3 sets. However, if Nadal wins only 2, then you lose the bet. This must be reciprocal.

However, what makes handicaps “difficult” is that you must know a player’s style to predict the game. To win a bet, you must fully observe them in different settings, fields, seasons, and opponents, before/after injury (if any). Otherwise, you’d be betting on pure luck.

Live Betting

Live betting, as the name explains, is a dynamic betting line that many confuse with oddly risky. Every betting line is risky if you’re betting based on pure luck. You know they say, learn the rules so you can break them.

So, live betting is a betting line that constantly varies as the game progresses. There are a few ways you can bet in-game:

  • On the final score
  • On the set in progress
  • On the current game

Tennis live betting has straightforward tennis betting rules. Most players prefer to place their wager before the game begins. This is because the odds will change as points are played. This implies that once the result of the point is known, sportsbooks will rapidly withdraw the lines (suspend them) and then rehang them.

You won’t be able to change your wager during play if you put a wager on your slip to lock in the odds but don’t confirm it quickly enough before the point begins. Additionally, your probabilities will probably vary once the point has been resolved.

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Tennis Betting Tips and Strategies

To know how to wager on tennis, there are two major things you must master – know the players and the game. Also, you must get interested in the best tennis betting sites and watch the tennis predictions.

In the following section, we’re covering the ultimate strategies and tennis betting tips you must stick to win a bet.

Familiarizing with the Playing Surface

Surface affects the overall game in tennis. Plus, it’s one of the determining factors about a player’s expected appearance. In fact, each player is best in a particular field. Although there are few players recognized as all-surface players, other factors can always affect the game.

Take Sascha, for example. He once said he could play all grounds and didn’t want to limit himself to only one ground. But, since he’s an aggressive player, sliding on grass and clay has different effects.

Zverev at this year Roland-Garros posed a severe threat to deny the trophy from the clay king Rafa. Still, after a misfortunate slide where he tore 3 ligaments and injured himself, his competition for the Grand Slam ended a few minutes after the fall. Rafa continued to the finals.

Moreover, each surface is compatible with different types of players. For example, Wimbledon’s grass surface is convenient for serve-and-volley players with serves, while baseline players take advantage of the dirt as they slow down the big serves.

Knowing how these surfaces work is essential to learning how to bet properly.

Consider Player’s Mindset

Tennis is all about logic and symmetry. Mental hygiene is fundamental for the play. However, players’ mindsets play a role in your betting on tennis strategy for several reasons.

Firstly, when a player with several slams behind them plays against a rookie, you can sense straight away that they’re not giving 150% because there’s no obvious need. The same goes for smaller tournaments. Big sharks in smaller games aren’t that motivated to play.

Secondly, if a player plays last after warmup, then they will have a more challenging game because they will cool off as games pass. So, when betting on tennis, you should always recheck the games to see when your player is up next.

Game and Player Style

Unlike team sports, where players must operate under given instructions, tennis is rather an intuitive sport because the gameplay depends on one player. So, what does this tell you?

Recent scores, titles, or achievements don’t play a huge role when you try to determine which player to bet on. What’s more important is to track a player’s training. All players have their weaknesses and strengths.

Part of the training is physical, and part of it is mental. They all have opponents they find most challenging, and they must stay focused and motivate themselves when out on the court. There are many players with a stellar beginning but announcing their tennis retirement during the mid-20s. In most cases, they cannot handle the pressure.

betting on tennis

Level of Preparedness

Tennis is noble but also brutal. Players must keep moving, trying to outdo their opponents for 3-5 hours straight, with some minor pauses in between. Therefore, fitness is a significant factor in a player’s gameplay because it can determine how far a player can endure.

In addition to conditions, the weather also plays a crucial role. There are players who have no problem playing in the dirt for as much as it takes (take Rafa, for example) and players who simply cannot focus with all the negative challenges on the way.

Overcoming Injuries

Last but not least – the injuries. If your player suffered an injury after the recovery, they have an either-or situation. They either will overcome the fear and push themselves over the edge again, or they will never cross that line again. Only a few players managed to overcome the fear and not settle for early tennis retirement.

Plus, you can expect injured players to quit the match if needed. For example, this Wimbledon ended Nadal’s competition due to abdominal issues.

Learning about players’ weaknesses, injuries, and training is great for handicapping tennis live betting because it allows you to predict a situation on the inside. We all know that when both players stand on that ground, they have the mindset to slay the opponent. However, their confidence and motivation slowly fall when their opponent hits them in a weak spot.

So, if you want to place educated wagers, do your homework and start observing and learning more about the players.

Tennis Explained

Tennis is a sport of principles that apply both to players and spectators. You must have heard that it’s impolite to yell and scream once the player tossed the ball. It’s true.

The gameplay of tennis is pretty simple. The court is rectangular, marked with lines, and it’s divided with a 3-feet high net in the middle. Each player takes one side of the net.

Tennis has no particular time for a match which is a nightmare for the managers of the time schedules. Instead, the match duration depends entirely on how much time it takes to complete the scoring rules.

In most cases, tennis takes best-of-three or five-set contests. This can take 18 or 2 hours, depending on whether the players will not let down their guards. However, the average time is 3 to 4 hours in Grand Slam tournaments.

Scoring

If you bet on tennis, you should at least know the scoring terms so you’d know where you stand.

Scoring in tennis has a particular sequence:

  • Forty points win a game
  • Six games win a set
  • Three sets win the match

However, if the result is 2:0, the official (the line judge) pronounces it as 2-love.

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