Tennis is a phenomenally popular game the entire world over, and only second to football in terms of international popularity. Every year, billions of dollars are bet on the sport. The reason for this is simple: at any given point in time, there’s a tennis match being played somewhere in the world. Tennis enjoys enormous and widespread television and media coverage, making of this very special sport a sports bettors’ paradise.
Those interested in betting on tennis typically bet on one or more of the 5 most popular tennis betting markets – Match Winner, Set Betting, Set Winner, Total Games, and Handicap. Here’s how tennis’ 5 most popular bets work and are wagered.
Betting On The Match Winner
Exactly as the name of the bet suggests, the Match Winner bet is simply placing a wager on the player most likely to win the match.
Not unlike any other form of betting on a heavy favourite, the downside is that the odds will typically be short. Those who enjoy a bit of jigging-it-up by indulging in betting on the underdog often bank quite the money-roll from betting on the Match Winner.
Set Betting
The Set Bet is a wager placed on the number of sets in a given match. This type of bet typically involves also betting on the end-score. An example of this sort of bet would be: betting on Roger Federer to beat Novak Djokovic by three sets to one.
It should be kept in mind that this type of bet can be deceiving. Due to the nature of the bet, which requires a fair bit of accuracy, things like injury and other unforeseen circumstances may get in the way of a landslide bettor’s victory. Still, great fun as far as tennis bets go.
Set Winner
The Set Winner bet can be placed either on the first set, or on any subsequent set thereafter. Most bookies allow punters to predict which of the two players they expect to win the first, second, or third sets.
The only difference between the Match Winner bet and Set Winner bet is that instead of betting on the outcome of the entire match, only a set (or sets) are involved in the wager.
The Handicap Tennis Bet
Handicap bets are what internet bookmakers use to even out the odds. They do this by handicapping the favourite with either games or sets. In order for the bet to pay, the favourite must beat their set handicap.
Total Games
Total Games betting is also referred to as overs and unders. This bet allows the bettor to place a wager on the total number of games predicted to be played in a single tennis match.
First off, the bookmaker will make a prediction regarding the number of games to the match, whereafter the bettor will then place a wager on either a greater number than that placed by the bookie, or a smaller number. The Total Games bet is one greatly enjoyed by most tennis betting enthusiasts.
