The number of people placing a bet on tennis is huge, and this grows even further when the big events like Wimbledon and the US Open come around. Tennis betting is something that anyone can get involved with since there are simple ways to bet as well as many different betting markets to choose from. If you are a big fan of the sport but you don’t bet on it then if you decide to start betting, you can certainly use your tennis betting tips to your advantage.

If you are completely new to tennis betting, or you have placed a few bets before and struggled then this guide will give you the information you need to make a success when placing your wagers. Things can look complicated when you are first looking at having a bet on tennis, but once you know the basics it becomes very simple.

How to Bet on Tennis?

When you are looking at tennis betting for the very first time, or if you have not properly explored the markets in the past you will see that there are a number of different ways in which you can bet. With the introduction of in-play betting in tennis you can bet on the smallest possible part of the game, who will win the next point, to the full tournament and outright betting on who will raise the trophy. It is the flexibility to do this, and everything else in between, that has made tennis such a popular sport when it comes to betting.

Simple Tennis Betting Markets

If you are getting involved with tennis betting for the first time then it is always a good idea to stick to the simple betting markets. This will allow you to learn the basics and how things work before going into more complicated wagering options, if you go straight for these then you will more than likely confuse yourself and not enjoy your experience.

There are two very simple tennis betting markets that you can use as a newcomer. The first is to bet on who will win an individual game, and the second is to place a bet on who will win the overall tournament.

If you are looking to place one single bet and have an interest in the whole tournament then outright betting is for you. Before the event begins, take a look at the players that are competing and choose someone you think can win the event. When you bet at this stage and like this, your player will have to win multiple games to be crowned the champion and while that does give you an interest throughout, it does mean they have a lot of work to do for you to have a winning bet. The odds on offer even for favourites can be very good when you are backing before the tournament begins, which is a big reason why so many use the outright markets.

The other simple way to bet on tennis is to bet on who will win an individual game. This is a much shorter form of betting than using the outright markets, because you are betting on one individual match between two players. This means you can place a wager before the start and after just a couple of hours you will know if you have backed a winner or not. This really appeals to some punters, who like to place a number of quick wagers throughout a tournament, instead of placing just once before the action begins. The odds on this type of betting are not as a high because you are betting on just one game, not a full tournament, but you can find value out there if you look hard enough.

Alternative Tennis Betting Markets

If you have some experience when it comes to betting on tennis then there are a  number of other betting markets you can use to place your bets. These are not ones you can jump into straight away, but you can take a look at them when you have picked the basics up, and they can give you many great ways to get your money down.

One way a lot of people like to bet on tennis is to use the set betting market. This is a betting market you use for indiviudal games and when betting in this way not only do you have to correctly predict who will win the game, but also what the score will be on sets. For example, if you think a tennis player will win a game then you can use the individual game betting market that is above, but if you think they will win 3-1 on sets then you can use the set betting market to bet the correct score of 3-1. When you are betting using this market it is a lot tougher to back a winner as you are adding an additional element, but you do get rewarded by better odds and many people see this as worth the risk.

Another way to bet on tennis is to use the games handicap line. On this market you can back a player to win using a fictionally created handicap line by the bookmakers. For example, bookmakers create a line of 10.5 games and this means that the favourite has to win by 11 games or more to win the bet.

Let’s say the match finished 6-2 6-2 6-1, the favourite has won by a total of 13 games. As this is above the line of 10.5 games, bets on that player have won. If the game had finished 6-4 6-4 6-4 instead then the winning games total would have only been six, and this means that the other side of the line would have won, those who had backed the outsider to win by ten games or less.

Tennis Betting Tips & Strategies

If you are looking for tips on how to be better at tennis betting then here are a couple of things to note.

Always Check the Surface

Tennis is played around the world on a number of different surfaces. These can vary dramatically, and players all compete at different levels on each one. For example one player may have a great tournament on clay, but the week after when they are playing on grass this does not suit them and they perform poorly. If you can understand the different surfaces that are used and you familiarise yourself with the players who are good on each surface then you will improve your tennis knowledge, which will in turn improve your tennis betting.

Momentum is Key in Tennis

When you are looking for players to back make sure you do not underestimate momentum. The tennis season is very long and during that season players will drift in and out of form. Catching a player when they are hot will give you a fair better chance of backing a winner. An in form player at the right time can beat a far higher ranked opponents if their opponent is out of form. This is where you will often find the best value when placing your tennis bets and is certainly something to look out for. This isn’t easy to spot, but the more effort you are prepared to put into your tennis research, the better your tennis betting will be.