Tennis Betting Odds and Betting Options
The tennis betting odds are available in three formats: decimal, popular in Europe and the Southern Hemisphere; fractional, popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom; and moneyline, popular in North America. The same odds apply to tennis and determine the amount a bettor is likely to win from any bet, provided the outcome is correctly predicted. Overall, the most popular ways to bet on tennis are wagering on the moneyline, the over/under, and the game or set spread.
Moneyline
It is betting on a player to win the match.
Roger Federer vs Nadal to win
- Federer – 6/5
- Nadal – 10/13
So, if Nadal is 10/13 on the moneyline against Roger Federer, you’d have to pay $130 to win $100 on a Nadal win. If Federer is 6/5, a $100 bet will return $120. And, just as you can bet on the first five innings of a baseball game, you can bet on the winner of the first set in tennis.
Game Spread
Another option for betting on tennis is to bet on the game or set spread.
Game Spread Odds
- Rafael Nadal: -3.5
- Denis Istomin: +3.5
If Rafael Nadal’s game spread odds are set at -3.5, he must win four more games than Denis Istomin to cover the spread. However, Istomin would cover the spread if he wins or loses by three games or less.
Set Spread
The wager is similar to the game spread. The only distinction is that you place bets on sets rather than individual games.
Set Spread Odds
- Sloane Stephens: -1.5 5/4
- Monica Puig: +1.5 4/5
Using the odds above, you win if you bet on Stephens at -1.5 sets, and she beats Puig in straight sets (6-3, 6-0). You lose if Puig wins a set.
Over/Under
A wager on how many games are played in a match is known as an over/under bet. For example, if Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek play a three-set match, the Over/Under could be set at 22.5 games.
- Over 22.5 – 4/5
- Under 22.5 – 21/20
In the example above, choosing Over would pay out $100 for every $125 staked if the two players combine to play 23 or more games. Those betting on the Under would win $105 on a $100 wager if the players played 22 games or fewer.
Depending on the sportsbook, other betting options are available in addition to the three most popular types of tennis bets. These include:
Futures
Most sportsbooks also offer bets on who will win the tournament. Therefore, a bettor could choose to place a bet on an individual player winning a tournament instead of betting on individual matches.
Odds to Win French Open
- Rafael Nadal – 20/23
- Novak Djokovic – 12/5
- Stefanos Tsitsipas – 14/1
- Alexander Zverev – 18/1
Live Betting
Tennis odds are subject to change after every point, so you must be prepared to act quickly. So, with in-play betting, one can place bets on the outcome of a match, a set, or a specific game.
Prop Bets
Some bookies will even offer prop bets, like wagers on the final score or whether a tiebreak will occur. These are high-risk bets typically only accessible to specific bookmakers.