A Complete Guide to Online Tennis Betting

10 / 23 / 2020 By Mark Saldana

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You’re a long time tennis fan that is ready to take a shot at online tennis betting. 

You have the knowledge and skills to predict winning bets, but don’t understand betting odds or how to place a bet. 

Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. 

Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of online tennis betting and how to use ZenSports to maximize your earning potential. 

Tennis Betting Odds Explained

In order to win big on the next tennis match, you need to understand tennis betting odds. 

Tennis betting odds define how much money is at risk on the bet and how much money you stand to win—if you bet correctly. 

There are three different types of tennis betting odds: 

  • Fractional odds
  • Decimal odds
  • American odds

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds display risk vs. reward in fraction format. 

In fractional odds, the number on the left shows potential winnings if you happen to bet correctly and the number on the right represents the betting risk.

Tennis Betting Odds Example For Fractional Odds

Fractional odds display your potential net profit

For example, odds of 5/1 means that you would win five times your original stake if you won the bet. 

So, if you placed a $5 bet, you would receive $30 in payout to account for the return of your original stake.

How do you know if you are betting on a favorite or underdog? The answer is simple. 

If the number on the left is bigger than the right, this should tell you that the odds are for an underdog player. This is because bookmakers are willing to pay more than the original stake because the outcome is less likely to occur. 

If the number on the left is smaller than the right then you know the odds are for a favorite player. The payout is smaller because the outcome is more likely to occur. For example, placing a $10 bet at ½ would result in a payout of $15, meaning that your net profit is $5.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds can be easier to read than fractional odds. 

In order to calculate how much you stand to win, simply multiply your bet amount by the decimal odds.

Tennis Betting Odds Example for Decimal Odds

For example, a winning bet of $100 on 2.50 odds would earn a payout of $250. 

Unlike fractional odds, decimal odds display the total return of your bet, which includes the return of your stake. 

With decimal odds, identifying the favorite and underdog players is easy. Odds lower than 2.0 will tell you that you are looking at a favorite player and will have to risk a larger amount than your potential net profit.

American Odds

American odds are presented as a positive or negative number and can be referred to as Moneyline odds.

Positive numbers show how much you can win for every $100 bet, while negative numbers show how much money you need to bet in order to win $100.

If the odd is displayed as a positive number then you know you are betting on the underdog. The larger the number means the bigger the underdog and the bigger your potential winnings.

If the odd is displayed as a negative number then you know you are betting on a favorite player.

Tennis Betting Odds Example for American Odds

Let’s take a look at some examples of American odds:

  • If the American odd displayed is +150 and you bet $100, you would net $150 if you won the bet. 
  • If the American odd displayed is -250 and you bet $100, you would net $250 in profits.

How to Participate in Online Tennis Betting: 6 Ways to Place a Tennis Bet

Online tennis betting never gets old with six different ways to place tennis bets online. 

As a beginner, these multiple options can seem overwhelming. However, this breakdown will help you understand the different ways to place a tennis bet so you can feel confident placing any type of bet online.

Let’s go over some options of gameplay you have when it comes to online tennis betting. 

#1: Tennis Match Betting

Tennis match betting is one of the most simple types of online tennis bets— all you have to do is bet on the winner of a single match to take home winnings.

#2: Totals Over/Under

Not confident in choosing who will win the match? You could bet on totals over/under instead. 

For this type of bet, oddsmakers make a prediction on the total number of sets, and you bet on whether you think the total will be over or under that amount.

#3: Tennis Spread Betting

Tennis spread betting is also known as handicap betting. 

This choice of bet can be especially appealing if there is a clear favorite player playing in the match. 

The more a match clearly tips in favor of one player, the lesser the payouts will be for bets placed on that player. To create more valuable bets, oddsmakers offer spreads.

The spread is a number of points that the favorite player must exceed for bets to pay out. The favorite must not only win the match, but he/she must win by the decided number of points for placed bets to win payouts.

For example, in a Rafael Nadal vs. Stan Wawrinka match, Nadal is the 1.8 favorite, meaning that he must win by 1.8 points in order for bets placed in his favorite to pay out. 

#4: Set Betting: Winner and Correct Score

Feeling lucky? Set betting involves placing a bet on who will win a three-set match, as well as the score.

For example, set betting options for the Rafael Nadal vs. stan Wawrinka match would be: 

  • 2-0 Nadal
  • 2-1 Nadal
  • 2-0 Wawrinka
  • 2-1 Wawrinka

#5: Odds to Win on the Tennis Tournament Winner

If you have been doing your research, you may have formulated a guess at who will win the tournament outright. 

With odds to win bets, you can place a bet on the player you think will win the entire tournament.

If you plan on placing an odds to win bet on the tennis tournament winner, you’ll want to have completed comprehensive research first to increase your chances of winning the bet. 

#6: Live Betting

Do you prefer to place bets while watching the match? Live betting on tennis is also an option. 

With live betting, you can bet on total games and the Moneyline while watching the match. 

Tennis Betting Strategy: 7 Tips For Online Tennis Betting

Online tennis betting is not a random shot in the dark or gamble, it is skills-based. It is important to develop a betting strategy.

With these 7 tips for online tennis betting, you can hone your betting skills and create a betting strategy that brings home the bacon. 

#1: Specialize

When it comes to placing tennis bets online, it is best to stick to what you know. 

Pick one type of bet to develop gameplay strategy with, and focus on one event or circuit at a time.

With the large number of tennis matches being played throughout the year on both the men’s and women’s circuit, even the betting pros know that it is impossible to analyze every game. 

#2: Keep a Betting Record

Successful online tennis betting requires a bit of discipline and money management. The best way to do this is to keep a betting record. 

Any serious bettor will tell you that keeping a betting record is paramount to long-term betting success.

Your betting record should include: 

  • Date
  • Tournament name
  • Bet type
  • Bookmaker
  • Your stake
  • Your odds
  • Your profit/loss
  • Any additional comments that may be important to note

Keeping a betting record will help give you an understanding of your betting performance and allow you to make adjustments to your betting strategy for better outcomes.

#3: Look For the Suspect Seed

Try to identify which seeded player may underperform for the best profit in odds. 

Seeded players will always start off as favorites with bookmakers.

However, a little research can help you determine who is more susceptible to defeat in a certain matchup, regardless of seeding. Look for any player weaknesses or game factors that could affect a seeded player’s performance and result in a win for the underdog. 

#4 Be Aware of Different Playing Styles

Different playing styles can influence a player’s odds of winning against a certain opponent:

  • Does one player have a strong serve? 
  • Are they a strong returner? 
  • Do they have a big forehand or backhand? 

These are questions that you will want to know the answers to in order to assess which player in a match has the best chance of winning. 

You can easily study the playing styles of specific players by watching clips on YouTube.

#6 Check the Head-To-Head Matchup

Check out the ATP or WTA website to check out the head-to-head between the player you are betting on and their opponent.

 The head-to-head matchup provides helpful information such as: 

  • If the players have faced each other previously, and how many times
  • The results and score line of matches
  • When matches took place

However, don’t simply rely on the matchups when it comes to betting. Comprehensive research is key to taking home wins.

#7 Take the Court Surface Into Account

In tennis, surface matters. 

Is the match you are placing bets on being placed on a hard, clay, or grass surface?

Before placing that bet, make sure to check both player’s performance on the type of surface the match is being played on. This can give you insight on whether a certain player performs better or worse on this type of surface.

Online Tennis Betting: Place Your Bets With ZenSports

By now, you should know everything there is to know about online tennis betting. 

Are you ready to get in on the action? 

Download the ZenSports app today and begin maximizing your earning potential with perks like: 

  • Placing bets on a decentralized, peer-to-peer platform
  • Instant deposits with zero fees
  • Loyalty rewards and bonuses

Enjoy online tennis betting the way it should be—fast, easy, and right from the convenience of your phone with ZenSports.

Download the ZenSports apps