Are you watching a lot of tennis, but thinking about placing a bet on the game? Understanding the various odds types would be your first step before looking into specific bookmakers, finding the latest tennis betting odds or the most valuable bets.
Odds aren’t just random numbers, they’re a reflection of the probability of a particular outcome. By grasping the basics, you can start making more informed guesses and it doesn’t take a math degree to decode these odds.
Decimal vs Fractional vs American Odds
Understanding different types of odds can help make sense of tennis betting. Three main formats are used worldwide: decimal, fractional and American. Each of them provides a unique way to interpret the probability of an outcome. For the most part it just depends on what you are used to. Personally, I find the decimal odds easy to use but struggle with the UK (fractional) odds format.
Decimal Odds
Decimal odds are popular in Europe, Australia and Canada. They’re very straightforward; I just multiply my stake by the odds to determine potential returns. For instance, if the odds are 3.00 and I bet $20, I’d get $60 back if I win, including my original stake (actual profit of $40).
Fractional Odds
Fractional odds are traditional in the UK and Ireland. They show potential profit relative to the stake. If I see odds of 5/2, it means I’d earn $5 for every $2 wagered.
American Odds
American odds are what you’d find in the United States. Expressed as either positive or negative numbers, they tell me how much I’d win on a $100 bet or how much I need to wager to win $100. Positive odds like +200 mean I could win $200 on a $100 stake. Negative odds, like -150, indicate I’d need to bet $150 to win $100.
These odds formats reflect different ways to view betting risks / rewards.
Common Types of Tennis Odds
Let’s look at some of the most common odds types for tennis matches.
Moneyline
Moneyline odds is simple, basically it’s just betting on match winners. The term “moneyline” is often used in the US. We look at whether Player A or Player B wins the match. If Player A has odds of +150, wagering $100 gives $150 if he wins. Or, odds of -200 require me to bet $200 to win $100.
Handicap Bets
Handicap betting is just a way to level the playing field and it’s an interesting bet in tennis and many other sports. Tennis matches often feature big favourites, so this typs of odds adjusts scores to balance competition. For example, if Sinner is expected to win easily, I might bet with a -3.5 game handicap. This requires him to win by at least four games in order for me to win the bet.
The underdog would instead have a +3.5 (or similar) game adjustment. This is good when you think the lower ranked player has a decent chance but might not reach all the way. In the example above he can lose by 3 games and you would still win the bet.
Totals Bets
Totals bets, or over/under bets, focus on the number of games or sets played in a match. Here it doesn’t matter who wins. If I anticipate a lengthy battle, I’d place my money on the total games exceeding a specific number, like 22.5. An under bet, on the other hand, indicates predicting fewer games. This type offers alternatives to finding winners, allowing me to predict match length instead.
How do Bookmakers set Tennis Odds?
Bookmakers create tennis odds by analysing several factors in player performance and dynamics of the match. Player rankings and current forms are basically just the starting points. A higher-ranked player or one displaying strong recent performance often receives more favourable odds.
The head-to-head records can also influence odds, as some player styles can work well against a specific opponents style. Surface preference is huge in tennis and a very important factor a bookmaker would look at. We all know that some players are among the best when on clay, while maybe having a hard time on grass courts like Wimbledon.
Bookmakers also consider external elements like small injuries or weather conditions.
Finally, market demand and betting patterns shape the odds as well. Bookmakers monitor betting activity and adjust odds to balance their books, so they can ensure profit regardless of the match outcome. Basically, if they get a lot of money coming in on a specific player, that odds will go down.
When it comes to live betting, the bookies have to be very quick and sometimes you need to wait to place your bet, while the odds are being adjusted.