| Betting Basics for Tennis | | | | going into a tournament might be listed with their own |
| After learning about betting point spreads, our favorite | | | | individual odds while the rest of the players are |
| newbie bettor Emily wanted to know about betting | | | | grouped together. |
| tennis. There are no point spreads in tennis because | | | | Some sportsbooks will also allow you to bet futures |
| there is no meaningful way to measure how much a | | | | on the four major major tournaments, which is yet |
| tennis player wins or loses by. In tennis, all that really | | | | another way you can "Bet to Win" that can offer you |
| matters is who wins and loses the match, and that's | | | | appealing odds because you are betting far in |
| where money line wagering comes into play. Following | | | | advance of when the event takes place. For example, |
| are tips on understanding tennis odds and betting tennis | | | | betting on the 2006 Australian Open now might get |
| matches. | | | | you much better value on Serena, who may be 10/1 at |
| For example, Emily's favorite tennis player Serena | | | | this moment but dip to 6/1 closer to the event if she is |
| Williams wins a majority of her matches. The chances | | | | on fire. For more information on the value of betting |
| of winning for Serena's opponent, let's say the | | | | golf futures, read How Future Bets Can Pay Off. |
| 102nd-ranked player in the world, would be less than | | | | Before placing a future bet or any bet on any tennis |
| 50-50 for this very reason. | | | | player, it's important to find out their strengths and |
| Thus, sportsbooks would make bettors wager | | | | weaknesses. Some tennis players perform better on |
| significantly more money on Serena than her opponent | | | | different surfaces, and it must be noted that the |
| because of the disproportionate likelihood of Serena | | | | French Open is played on clay and Wimbledon on |
| winning the match. | | | | grass. Playing on clay was the biggest weakness for |
| In the case of Serena Williams versus an | | | | Pete Sampras, arguably the best tennis player ever. |
| overmatched opponent, a reasonable money line | | | | He won 7 Wimbledon titles but never brought home a |
| would require Serena bettors to risk $400 to win $100; | | | | French championship. Fortunately for Sampras, he also |
| while a $100 bet on her opponent would win $360. | | | | performed well on a hardcourt surface (the most |
| Here's how the money line would be listed: Serena | | | | common), where he earned the other half of his 14 |
| Williams -400 / #102 Ranked Opponent +360 | | | | career Grand Slam tournament wins. |
| Every $400 bet on Serena nets a $100 profit if she | | | | Other possibilities for betting tennis include proposition |
| wins (plus the return of the $400 risked). If her | | | | bets on the number of sets a match lasts. There are |
| opponent pulls off the upset, $100 bet on the underdog | | | | several advantages to betting at elite online |
| would profit $360 (plus the return of the $100 risked). | | | | sportsbooks but the very best will give you the most |
| For more information on how this works, make sure to | | | | wagering opportunities, so it's a good idea to shop |
| check out Reading and Understanding Money Lines. | | | | around and find out what everybody has to offer. |
| Another popular way of betting tennis is picking the | | | | If you are a knowledgeable tennis fan who has a good |
| winner of each tournament before it starts. In fact, | | | | feel about how a match will likely turn out, then you |
| "Betting to Win" an outcome event like Wimbledon is | | | | should most definitely trust your insights and use them |
| the most common way to wager on tennis. Since | | | | to find strong bets. For those of you with less |
| tennis has multiple tournaments over the course of a | | | | experience, several sports web sites have power |
| year, "Betting to Win" obviously offers numerous | | | | rankings for players which should give you a good idea |
| wagering opportunities. It is very important to note that | | | | of who's hot on the tennis court and who's not. Of |
| not all the competitors in a tennis tournament may be | | | | course it's up to you to decide which driver you want |
| listed, so another tennis betting option is a "field" bet | | | | to bet on, but the more you learn about tennis, the |
| which includes all other competitors not listed. | | | | more prepared you will be when placing your bet. |
| The tennis odds on a "field" bet are typically | | | | Hopefully now you understand the basics of betting |
| comparable to a bet on the favorite in order to protect | | | | tennis and how tennis odds work! |
| sportsbooks from taking a big hit if a major upset | | | | provides sports betting rules, basics, advice, systems, |
| occurs. In exchange for a lesser payout, field bettors | | | | and strategy, online for free, covering NFL Football, |
| gain the advantage of having more than one entrant | | | | NCAA college basketball, NBA, pro MLB baseball |
| that can win for them. For example, the top 20 players | | | | wagering from gambling experts. |