How to Place Smart Bets on Tennis Matches

how to bet on tennis matches

How to bet on tennis matches? Are you looking to develop tennis betting strategies to boost your chances of winning? Here, we explain how to bet on tennis matches, including popular tennis wager types, tips, and mistakes to avoid to help you pick more winners than losers.

In the world of sports betting, tennis wagers are highly popular. Tennis tournaments run throughout the year, providing weekly wagering options to tennis bettors. Now that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal both retired, a new era of tennis has come with new rivalries and exciting games.

So, how do you read tennis odds, and what do you need to know before placing your first bet on Wimbledon, the US Open, or the Australian Open? This complete guide to tennis betting includes in-play sports betting and pre-match wagers that you can place on all major tournaments.

By the end of our guide, you’ll understand the best tennis betting strategies and be ready to create an account at EVO.io to bet on Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and other top players.

How To Bet On Tennis Matches?

To read tennis odds, you must recognize that they can presented in different formats:

  • Decimal (5.0): The easiest way to compare odds on tennis is to stick to decimals. The number indicates how much you stand to win per $1.00 wager. So, if you can back Carlos Alcaraz at 5.00, you will win $5.00 from a $1.00 wager.
  • Fractional (5/1): Sometimes known as British odds, fractional odds are written as a fraction, such as 5/1. One side of the fraction (1) indicates how much you must wager to win the other side of the fraction (5). So, you could back Iga Swiatek at 5/1 with a $1 wager to win $5.
  • American (+200): American odds, often known as moneyline odds, are the most difficult to understand. These odds are accompanied by a plus (+) or minus (-). The plus indicates the underdog, while the minus indicates the favorite. Below is an example of how to calculate your returns based on American odds in tennis:
  • Coco Gauff (-150) v Paula Badosa (+250): As the favorite, you must bet $150 on Coco Gauff to win $100. If you fancy Paula Badosa to win, you could bet $100 for a profit of $250. Of course, you can adjust your wager and calculate your returns accordingly.

EVO.io offers highly competitive odds for tennis betting and all other sports, so our platform is a great place to begin.

When comparing odds, it’s much easier to stick to the same format, be it decimals, fractions, or American, to make it easy to compare values. You can adjust how odds are displayed in the settings of every sportsbook.

Types of Tennis Bets

As soon as you understand tennis odds, you can consider the different types of tennis bets available to you in sportsbooks like EVO.io. Below are the different options available to tennis wagerers throughout the year:

Match Betting

This is the most straightforward way to bet on a tennis match and requires you to pick a winner. For instance, if Novak Djokovic is playing against Carlos Alcaraz, decide which player you think will win and back them in a match betting wager. If they win the tie, you will win your bet.

Set Betting

With set betting, you can place wagers on the outcome of each set in a tennis match. Most WTA and ATP matches play a best-of-three sets format, so numerous betting options exist within the same match.

For instance, you could back Jasmine Paolini to win the first set of her match against world number two Aryna Sabalenka, only for the Belarusian to recover and win the remaining sets to take the match.

Over/Under Bets

Total betting is also an excellent option for tennis gamblers. Here, you can bet over or under a specific number of games or sets played in a match rather than picking a winner.

So, if a match’s total is 19.5, you could bet on whether you think there will be over or under this number of games. If a match finishes with 20 games and you bet the over, you will win your bet.

Handicap Betting

Though most tennis competitions and grand slams are seeded, overwhelming favorites still regularly face off against underdogs. In this case, handicap betting is worth considering, as it levels the playing field and applies a handicap to the favorite.

You can apply both set and game handicaps, depending on the bet that you want to place, but the bigger the handicap applied, the better your odds will be.

So, if world number one Jannik Sinner is up against Taro Daniel in an upcoming tournament, it could be worth backing the Italian with a handicap applied to his score for better odds.

Prop Bets

Like in all sports, you can access proposition wagers in tennis. You can place these bets on various situations within a match that are not tied to the game’s outcome.

For example, tennis props include the winner of the first set, the number of aces in a match, and whether there will be any double faults. Ensure you conduct sufficient research before placing proposition bets so you can cash in on things that are likely to happen.

Tennis Betting Odds Explained: Quick Guide

Numerous factors may influence the outcome of a tennis match that you must be aware of before placing a bet. So, before sitting down to bet on a tennis tournament or match, consider each of the following:

Player Form and Recent Performance

Tennis players go in and out of form throughout the season, as exemplified by the regular changes in the world rankings. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep up to date with a player’s current form and how they have performed in recent outings.

Always check for injuries, too, as they are common, even among the top players. If a player has been out with an injury, it will likely take them a few matches to get back up to speed.

Conversely, if an underdog faces a favorite who recently returned from injury, it could be an excellent chance to back them for decent returns.

Head-to-Head Records

The world’s best players meet each other regularly, particularly at the business end of the major tennis competitions. Therefore, you can dive into statistics and data to discover recent head-to-head results and trends to inform your betting strategy.

Does a particular player always take the first set against his slow-starting opponent? Or has a specific player lost the last four games against one of her fiercest rivals?

Finding out such information can give you the edge when deciding which tennis bets to place, and these statistics are readily available online.

Playing Surface and Conditions

There are four main types of tennis surfaces: clay, grass, hard, and artificial. Some players excel on some surfaces and struggle on others. The legendary Serena Williams was brilliant on all surfaces, highlighting her position as one of the greatest ever.

However, other players tend to struggle on specific surfaces, mainly clay. So, before backing a player to win a tournament, research their historical performance on the surface. It could make or break your wager.

The weather conditions can also impact the outcome of a tennis match, mainly when it’s windy. Rain delays may also harm a player’s concentration, which is something to bear in mind in the days leading up to the tournament.

smart bets in tennis

Strategies for Smart Betting On Tennis Tournaments

Developing winning tennis betting strategies is about researching, analyzing form and trends, and betting with your head over your heart. Here are some handy tennis betting tips to bear in mind as you make your selections:

Research and Analysis

The more you research and analyze data and statistics, the more likely you will pick a winner. We touched on this above, but use statistics to your advantage, consider head-to-head records, and always check form and injuries before backing a player in a tennis tournament.

Always avoid impulse betting, and don’t go into a tournament blind. If Wimbledon is coming up, check which players perform well on grass and consider their current form and injuries. If they’re in good shape, they could be a good pick as your outright winner.

Value Betting

In sports betting, a value bet is where the probability of an outcome is greater than the odds the bookmaker reflects. In other words, there’s a better chance of winning than implied by the odds.

Naturally, this is great news for tennis bettors, as it can help you access the best possible payouts when making your selections. Value betting requires research, patience, and timing, but the more experienced you become, the easier it is to identify value wagers.

Bankroll Management

Managing your bankroll while betting on tennis is crucial to responsible gambling. You should only bet what you can afford to lose and avoid chasing after your losses. Whether you have $10, $50, or $100 to bet on tennis, add it to your account and use it. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Most sportsbooks offer a suite of responsible gambling tools that you can use to stay in control, including time and deposit limits. These can help with your bankroll management and will protect you from financial issues when gambling online.

In-Play Betting

Rather than placing exclusively pre-match tennis wagers, you can enjoy in-play sports betting at EVO.io and other sports betting sites. Also known as live betting, in-play betting invites you to get in on the action in real time as the match progresses.

You can bet on things like the player to win the next game or set, giving you the option to back the player who has started the game well. The best way to utilize in-play betting is by downloading the sportsbook’s app, as you can access the markets, odds, and betting options in real time, no matter where you are.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Tennis Betting

In tennis betting, as in other sports, there are some things you should and shouldn’t do when making your selections.

Helpfully for you, we’ve compiled a list of common mistakes to avoid, based on the experience of other tennis enthusiasts to help you pick more winners than losers:

Don’t Bet with Emotions

One of the most common mistakes we see among tennis bettors is wagering with emotions. For instance, if you’re a huge fan of Carlos Alcaraz and follow the talented Spaniard everywhere he goes, your passion for his game will likely cloud your judgment when betting.

While we’re not saying you should never bet on the players you like the most, mainly if they are among the best in the world, you must leave your emotions to one side when making a bet. Our advice is to bet with your head, not your heart.

If the statistics suggest that your favorite player will lose an upcoming match, don’t place a bet on them just because you like them; this is a surefire way to lose money!

how to do smart betting in tennis

Don’t Ignore Surface Differences

While some players, like Roger Federer in the past and now Novak Djokovic, tend to dominate on all surfaces, the same isn’t valid for all WTA and ATP players. Playing tennis on clay is very different from playing the game on grass, so you must consider how well a player typically performs on a specific surface before backing them.

Again, research here is crucial. You can check a player’s previous performances at the venue in question. Then, cast your net wider by seeing how they perform on similar surfaces at other tennis competitions.

The surface is perhaps the most crucial factor when deciding which player to back in a tennis tournament.

Don’t Overlook Player Fatigue

Modern tennis players are incredibly fit and athletic but are not immune to fatigue. So, if Alexander Zverev has just made it to the Australian Open semi-final following a grueling tie-breaker against Andrey Rublev, he might not have much left in the tank when he faces Casper Ruud less than 48 hours later, who breezed through his quarter-final match.

A tired player is more prone to mistakes, so consider how long their matches have lasted before backing them. You should also consider a player’s schedule more broadly, looking at how many tournaments they have played and whether they’ve suffered a recent injury, as this can impact their performance.

Maintain Bankroll Management

Though this is one of our main tennis betting tips, and we’ve discussed it above, we want to mention bankroll management again as we conclude this article.

Tennis betting is exciting, and you will find yourself glued to the action on the court. But don’t let the excitement lead you to bad decisions that can cost you money.

Set your limits, stick to them, and walk away when you’ve spent your money. It’s as simple as that.

Bet on Tennis Games Today at EVO.io

With majors like Wimbledon and the US Open occurring yearly and weekly ATP and WTA tournaments, tennis betting is lots of fun throughout the year.

Sign up and bet on tennis games today at EVO.io – create your account, deposit, and research for more exotic tennis props before making your selections. Remember to gamble responsibly, adjust your stake, and bet within your means.