Tennis betting is one of the most regularly fun sports to wager on due to the remarkable consistency of the ATP and WTA tours. Tennis fans have an endless amount of choice, with over 50 tournaments a year and several hundred matches. The off-season typically lasts only around four weeks, so tennis betting is possible for most of the year.
Tennis is a slightly less popular sport than other options on the Rizk homepage like NFL or NBA. Regardless, millions of punters still enjoy wagering on the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Tennis odds are among the most generous and there are several bet types to take advantage of.
Beginners will quickly get to grips with tennis betting. From traditional Moneyline, Over/Under and Prop bets to tennis-specific Set or Handicap betting, there’s something for everyone. We’ll explain how everything works in this guide, so keep reading.
Tennis Betting Odds & Types
Punters have several options with tennis betting. You can find out about the most popular bet types below:
Moneyline
Moneyline is the most straightforward tennis betting option, where punters predict the outright winner of a game. Tennis odds are typically given as decimals. Let’s use the 2021 US Open Final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev as an example:
Novak Djokovic: 1.40
Daniil Medvedev: 3.10
Djokovic was the clear favorite, which is reflected in his lower odds. Medvedev caused an upset and won the final, so placing a $10 Moneyline wager on him winning the match would have returned $31.00. Hypothetically, if Djokovic had won the same bet would have returned $14.00.
Handicap
Handicap betting (also called Spread betting) levels the tennis betting odds. Unlike standard Moneyline betting the underdog is given a handicap. The favorite needs to win by a margin that exceeds the handicap or the underdog bet will win. Here is a hypothetical example between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kygrios:
Djokovic is the favorite, but Kyrgios is given a +2.5 handicap. Djokovic may win with an overall score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The total number of games won by each player is:
Djokovic: 23
Kyrgios: 21
Kyrgios is still the winner of the bet because the winning margin is less than 2.5 games.
Over/Under
Over/Under tennis betting revolves around the total number of games or sets during a match. Punters either bet “over” or “under” the number of fixed sets or games. The tennis odds will be displayed as a decimal for each depending on what outcome is more likely.
Prop
Prop bets can refer to numerous things during a tennis match, from the number of aces or tiebreaks to how many sets each player will win. The most extensive options are usually reserved for major tournament matches.
Set
Set betting is a specific tennis betting option. Punters can bet on the winner of specific sets or the margin of victory.
Major Tennis Grand Slams
While there are numerous smaller tournaments, the four tennis Grand Slams are the most prestigious tournaments on the ATP and WTA Tours. These have been around for more than a century, and are by far the most internationally famous tennis tournaments. You can find a rundown below:
● Australian Open
● French Open (Roland Garros)
● Wimbledon
● US Open
