Best Tennis Betting Strategies
It’s difficult to find a person who wouldn’t have tried playing tennis at least once. This is a very popular type of sport, and it comes with multiple betting opportunities.
Typically, there are two tennis players competing against one another. Sometimes, the team of two plays against another team.
There are many tennis events where new and seasoned bettors can test their knowledge and luck, and today, we’ll be observing all the strategies needed for placing informed, promising bets.
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Common Tennis Betting Markets
Before moving on to the existing strategies, let’s consider what typical tennis betting markets exist.
Match winner
This is the most obvious market where even a complete betting amateur can make a quick win. Just decide who will triumph in the match and place a bet accordingly.
Over/under games
The bookmaker sets a specific number, such as 20.5, and you can bet on whether the number of games played within a match will fall under or over this limit.
Everything depends on the experience and talents of players: if they are professionals who tend to have lengthy sets, you’ll want to place an “over” bet. If you don’t envision the match lasting long, the “under” bet will be more suitable.
Set betting
Predicting the final score in sets might be difficult for tennis baby fans, but once you gain some knowledge and experience, placing such bets will be easier. This slice of the betting market has a lot of value, so accurate bets can bring a big win.
Handicap betting
This kind of betting means that one of the players has an extra advantage or disadvantage.
For example, if there is a -1.5 handicap given to a player by the bookmaker, this person must win by at least 2 sets for your bet on them to win.
Such complications might be hard to grasp, but they make things more entertaining and usually generate more value.
The ultimate winner
If you have complete confidence in one of the players, you can bet that they’ll win the entire tennis tournament, not just a couple of sets. It’s risky, but if you guess right, the risk will pay off.
Live betting
Odds are always fluctuating wildly when the match is unfolding. Some bookmakers support the format of live betting, and you can take advantage of it by monitoring what’s happening and placing your bets accordingly.
Some bettors prefer to interact only with some of these markets. You can choose one or two or try them all — just follow your knowledge and interests.
Popular Tennis Strategies
Due to the popularity of tennis as a sport, there is a large number of possible betting strategies. We’re going to consider the most common ones.
Focus on a type of surface
Tennis is played on three different surfaces. There are grass courts, clay courts, and hard courts, and players tend to have specific preferences, which affects their performance.
Be attentive to how they play across these different courts. Research their win-lose ratio and become a specialist in one of the tennis settings. This will make your bets more informed.
Staking plan
To preserve your budget, be smart about how you place bets. You can try flat betting, placing the same amount on every wager.
Then, there is percentage betting: spend 2-3% of your budget on each bet without ever breaking these limits.
More experienced players like a Martingale system, doubling their bets after each loss to compensate for it. This strategy is risky, though, so apply it with caution.
Bet on an underdog
Betting on an underdog who has been showing great results is both risky and potentially rewarding. In tennis, the very best players might grow tired from all the stress, so they can lose to supposedly weaker opponents.
Break assessment
Predict how the match will end based on the difference between the points scored by the players.
Choose one of these strategies to improve the accuracy and value of your bets. Before you do it, though, you’ll need to complete some research. Follow the tips below.
Key Research Betting Nuances
In smart betting, research is everything. Many factors can affect the outcomes of a tennis match, and you need to keep up with them for your bets to win.
Player form
Always check the recent performances of the player you plan to bet on. If they are having a losing streak, their past reputation might not matter. Sure, it’s great to know how this person was doing a year ago, but their most recent results should also be the factor influencing your decisions.
Type of surface
As we’ve already established, there are different surface types that tennis players might have to interact with. Assess them against a specific player’s habits to predict what kind of performance they might show.
Head-to-head records
People can play differently against different opponents. Some top players are fierce when fighting their equals, but in a match against weaker rivals, they relax and lose.
Consider the history of each individual participant before placing your bets. There is no universal system of patterns — everything depends on a separate player and their peculiarities.
Injury data
Always look for injury-related info. While tennis isn’t as traumatic as some other sports, it can still cause physical damage to players. Maybe someone was injured recently — this can affect their performance and mental state.
Some people become even more determined to win, while others panic and become one step closer to giving up.
Motivation level
Check the personal stakes for each player before deciding how to bet. If someone has been lagging behind and the upcoming match is their last chance to catch up, they might be playing with extra desperation.
On the contrary, if a player is already a leader, they might not take the game seriously enough. Such dynamics matter a lot.
Type of an event
Is this a regular match? Maybe it’s a local-level tournament or some big international event? All of these can affect how the players treat their opponents.
Some people do better when participating in important events, while others succumb to their anxiety and start making mistakes. Check how the players behaved in previous years to shape fact-based expectations.
Weather conditions
If the match is taking place outside, the weather is going to make a big difference — for some players more than others. Keep this in mind and look into their past patterns. The rain can be someone’s obstacle, yet another person’s win.
While doing in-depth research might seem boring, it’s something you simply can’t do without. Your money is at stake, so discover everything you can about a player, the event, and the conditions before choosing how to bet.
What Betting Decisions to Avoid
Some betting patterns are dangerous and can lead you to losses. If you’re a tennis fan planning to start wagering, never do the following actions:
Chasing your losses
If your bet lost once, then twice, take a step back and do nothing for a while. Yes, it might be tempting to keep trying in the hope of compensating for your failures, but this is a bad idea. It’s better to unwind, calm down, and try again next week or month.
Betting on reputation
Some new bettors make the mistake of thinking that if a tennis player has an excellent reputation, they’ll win every single set. That’s a misconception.
Reputation isn’t everything: even professional players might have a rough season. There are many factors at play, and you need to consider them all to succeed.
Ignoring your budget
Prepare a budget for your betting activities and stick to it. You can make it smaller for some periods, but avoid making it bigger unless your financial situation changes for the better. Sports betting is only fun when it’s safe.
Following emotions
Some punters let emotions dictate their choices. If they have a personal favorite tennis player, they keep betting on them even if this person isn’t in their peak form.
If they feel really down, they might attempt to lift their mood by making a really big bet. All of these are dangerous decisions: betting should be done with a calm mind only, no exceptions.
Tennis betting can be entertaining and rewarding, but only when you stick to safety rules.
Tools to Help You in Tennis Betting
Some online tools can help you make even more accurate bets. Take a look below. These are the analyses you should do:
- First serve percentage. Tools calculating a first-serve percentage can indicate if a player can score easy wins.
- Second serve points won. Tools dealing with second-serve percentages help determine how the player keeps holding up later despite all the pressure.
- Recent match duration. Use tennis-focused tools that quickly analyze the duration of all recent matches of specific players. This way, you’ll see what to prepare for. Longer durations mean that the player won’t be defeated easily, so take this into account when planning your future bets.
There are apps offering match previews and crowd-sourced betting predictions on football, NRL and tennis. While relying on other people’s opinions is not the best idea, it can still give you valuable insights that you might have missed in your research.