Professional tennis is an interesting sport to bet. Wagering opportunities vary quite a bit, and the types of available bets are often different among sportsbooks. It is extremely helpful with this sport, as it is with others, to compare what is being offered by various premium sportsbooks. We’ll consider two types of money lines, an over/under, and a few props you may encounter.
Basic Match Money Line
You will find that some online sportsbooks provide money line wagers on match play. Whoever wins the three or five-set match will pay off. This is the simplest tennis wager you’ll find.
An outright money line bet would look like this:
- Denis Kudla +700
- Kei Nishikori -1100
Nishikori is the favorite in the match. To win $100, you would have to bet $1100 on him. With Kudla, the underdog, you win $700 on a $100 wager.
Money Line Games and Match Play
A common wager that makes tennis betting more interesting is the money line wager that uses the number of games won over the course of a match. The line would look like this:
- Denis Kudla +2 ½ +125
- Kei Nishikori -2 ½ -165
For many bettors, this is a bit more attractive because it involves less risk. You are not wagering on who wins the match, but on how many games someone wins during a match.
Let’s say you put $100 on Kudla; as long as he wins more games than Nishikori – or loses only two fewer games – you will win $125. If you take Nishikori, a $165 wager will net you $100 as long as Nishikori wins three more games than Kudla.
What is most important with this bet is that the match winner is irrelevant. You care only about how many games a player wins during the match. So even if Nishikori wins the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, Kudla will win the differential.
Set Totals Over/Under
Another common wager is the set totals over/under. You are wagering on how many sets a particular match will go. Odds for a tennis over/under will look like this:
- (-160) o
- 3 ½
- (+130) u
If the match goes to just three sets, then the under bettor would win $130 on a $100 bet. If the match goes into a fourth set, then the over is the winner; it pays $100 for a $160 wager.
Tennis Props, Futures, and In-Play
Tennis props include betting on who will win the first set, who will win the match and what the sets score will look like, and whether the total number of games played in a match will be odd or even.
If you participate in futures betting, then chances are you’ll be wagering on the outcome of a tournament. Usually online sportsbooks offer a list of 20 players from which you may choose.
Tennis is one of the most common sports in which you’ll find live, in-play odds. With this feature, you may bet on game, set, and match winners throughout the event.
Making the Most of Opportunity
Betting on tennis matches can be a lucrative enterprise. There’s plenty of action, and sports bettors certainly possess a wealth of opportunity. Examine the various wagering choices you’re given, make sure that you understand the differences in terms of what you are betting on, and make wise wagering choices.