Tennis betting is a growing market worldwide, with sportsbooks increasingly offering more odds and betting options — including live betting.
Tennis became so popular mainly because the calendar is set up in a way that there are matches being played almost every day. The ATP and WTA Tours travel around the world, so the matches are played at all different times — including during the workday in North America.
Another great thing about betting on tennis is that the sport’s governing bodies have made a lot of data and metrics publicly available which can translate in a multitude of betting options. Tennis is considered to be one of the more progressive sports in that regard.
No matter your thoughts on the subject, tennis betting isn’t going anywhere, so you might as well make the most of it. If you want to start betting on tennis check our reviews of the best sportsbooks available to you.
Basic Odds and Betting Options
There are many ways to bet on tennis. The most straightforward bets are on individual matches.
Moneyline – Just like in baseball and hockey, the most popular way to bet on tennis is by playing the moneyline — which is another way of saying betting on a player to win the match.
Example: If Rafa Nadal is -120 on the moneyline against Roger Federer, that means you’d have to pay $120 to win $100 on a Nadal victory. If Federer is +110 in the same match, you’d win $110 on a $100 wager.
And just like you can bet the first five innings in baseball or the first period in hockey, you can do the same in tennis if you only want to bet the winner of the first set.
Game/Set Spread – Like the point spread in basketball or football, oddsmakers will set handicaps on both sets and games to level the playing field.
In the following example of a game spread, Novak Djokovic is set at -4.5, which means that he needs to win five more games than Medvedev in the match to cover the spread. If Medvedev wins the match or loses by four or fewer games, he would cover the spread.
Set spreads in tennis are placed at -1.5, much like the run line in baseball. In the following example, if you bet on Djokovic at -1.5 sets and he wins in straight sets, you win the bet. If Medvedev wins a set, you will lose.
| Player | Game spread odds |
|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | -4.5 |
| Daniil Medvedev | +4.5 |
| Player | Set spread odds |
|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | -1.5 |
| Daniil Medvedev | +1.5 |
Over/Under betting in tennis is when you wager on the total number of sets or games played in a match. For example, if Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek are playing a 3-set match, the Over/Under might be set at 22.5 games. If you think the match will be tight and wager on the over, then you’ll need the match to last for at least 23 games in order to win your bet.
So if Bianca wins in straight sets (7-6, 6-4), that would mean the match consisted of 23 games total, and you would win your wager. However, if the match ends (6-3, 7-6) you would then lose the bet because the match only went 22 games.
Other Betting Options
Futures – As you would see in other sports, there is a futures market for tennis tournaments. They work the same way as futures odds for March Madness would work. And for the four majors, you can even bet on futures for each quarter.
Example: If you bet Simona Halep -200 to win her quarter at the French Open, she would just need to make it to the semifinals to cash your bet.
Props – Online betting sites offer more exotic tennis props, like wagers on the exact score or if there will be a tiebreak. These are high-risk bets that are usually only available at larger tournaments, and only at certain sportsbooks. Check our reviews on the best available sportsbooks and the types of bets they offer.
Live Betting – Tennis is one of the most popular live betting markets in the world. Odds can change after every point so you have to be ready to pull the trigger before it’s too late. You can also bet who will win the next upcoming game. With all of the potential swings, it’s a great sport to trade — but only for the most experienced bettors.
Example: If Rafael Nadal is down 4-0 in the fifth set at Roland Garros, you can bet him +800 live. Then, if he comes back to even the match at four games apiece, you can then take his opponent at plus-money, locking in a guaranteed profit.
Whenever you think you are ready to bet on tennis matches you’ll find plenty of options to choose from so you will always have tons of opportunities to make money betting on the sport. Make sure you check our sportsbooks reviews!