Tennis Betting

Tennis is one of the world’s most popular sports and now, thanks to the repeat of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), you can bet on tennis at top US sportsbooks. Whether you want to bet on the Grand Slams, the Davis and Fed Cup, or any other of the many tournaments on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tours, the best US sportsbooks have got you covered. If you want to learn a little more about tennis betting before you get started, you’ve come to the right place. BettingUS has covered everything you need to know about betting on tennis, from the top events to tennis betting markets.

US States with Legal Tennis Betting

Sports betting is not yet legal in all US states, but there are a few states in which it is legal to bet on sports. You can currently bet on tennis in:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Rhode Island
• Mississippi
• West Virginia
• Nevada
• New Mexico

Even in states that have legalized sports betting, the exact rules and regulations differ- while some permit mobile and online sports betting, others only permit sports betting at land-based casinos. You don’t need to be a resident to bet in these states, but you will need to be within state lines to bet on tennis online or via mobile.

Major Tennis Events

The tennis calendar serves up a range of betting opportunities throughout the year, though the most popular events are undoubtedly the four Grand Slams. Each Grand Slam comprises of men’s and women’s singles, men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, and junior’s championships. With so many matches in each competition, tennis fans have plenty of betting opportunities.

Let’s take a closer look at the specifics of each.

Australian Open

The Grand Slams start off with the Australian Open, which takes place in Melbourne over the last two weeks of January. Matches are played on a hard court surface, and it is the highest attended Grand Slam, having attracted over 780,000 spectators in 2019.

French Open

The French Open is played out between May and June at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. It’s the only Slam that takes place on clay courts and is generally considered the most physically demanding tennis event in the world.

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament and is the only tennis major that is still played on grass courts. Founded in 1877, the highlight of the tennis season has traditionally started in late June, though recent editions have begun in July.

US Open

The US Open is currently the richest of the four Grand Slams, with a total prize pool of $53,000 in 2018. The tournament is played on a hard court surface throughout August and is the only Grand Slam in which tiebreakers are used in every set of singles matches.

Picking a Winner

Landing a winning tennis bet isn’t always easy. Of course, you can use the tennis betting odds as a starting point to see which player is the favourite, but it’s not uncommon for the underdog to succeed. Doing your research and checking out recent statistics plays an important part in predicting who might win- but we don’t just mean looking at the current rankings. Checking out the ATP and WTA stats pages for factors such as average aces per match, return points won and break points converted will help inform your betting. Playing styles, recent injuries and court surfaces are also worth considering before you bet on a tennis match.

There’s no shortage of tennis betting tips available online, but we’d always advise taking these with a pinch of salt. After all, no matter how knowledgeable a tipster is, they can never guarantee a winning bet on tennis. Building up your own knowledge of the sport by keeping up to date with the latest news, watching matches, and familiarising yourself with all the important facts and figures is your best bet when it comes to putting money on tennis.

Tennis Betting Markets

A tennis bet doesn’t have to be a simple wager on the winner of a particular matchup – there are plenty of tennis betting markets on offer at the best online sports betting sites. These are some of the most widely available:

Moneyline

The most simple sports bet, the money line bet, is a straight a bet on a player to win a tennis match.

Outright

In an outright bet, you’re putting money on a player winning a tournament, such as the US Open. Outright tennis bets can be placed before a tournament begins, but also once it’s underway.

Over/under

Also known as total points, here you’re wagering on a player to score more or less than the number of points set by the bookie. In tennis, you’ll usually be betting on games or sets, and markets might be displayed as “over 12.5 games”, for example.

Spread betting

Spread betting, also known as point spread or handicap betting, involves wagering on a player to win a match and either maintain a points advantage or overcome a disadvantage. So, if you bet on a tennis player with -1.5 set spread, they’ll have to win by two sets.

Proposition bets

A prop bet is a wager on an event occurring within a match, rather than the outcome of the match itself. Examples are betting on a player to win the first set, or betting on the correct score of the first set. Prop bets vary between different US tennis betting sites and often have longer odds than other types of wagers.

Tennis Betting Odds

You’ll need to get to grips with tennis odds before you bet on tennis. Betting odds reflect how a sportsbook rates the likelihood of a particular outcome or event occurring, and they also tell you how much you’ll win if your bet comes in. Tennis odds can vary between sportsbooks, so we’d advise comparing a couple to find the best price.

While you may see tennis odds displayed as fractions or decimals, most US sportsbooks use the American odds format. In this format, negative odds indicate the favourite and positive odds indicate the underdog.

Let’s take a look at an example of tennis betting odds.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are facing off in the US Open and a sportsbook has set odds of +120 on Nadal to win. Making a winning $100 bet would land you $220 in returns. These returns consist of your $100 wager plus $120 profit.

If the odds on Djokovic are -120, a successful $100 wager would see you win $183.30, making a profit of $83.30. These odds show that the betting site rates Djokovic as the favourite, which is why your potential profit isn’t as lucrative.

Check out our betting odds guide for the full lowdown on how to calculate potential profits and compare different odds formats at tennis betting sites.

Mobile Tennis Betting

While land-based sports betting is currently available in eight states, a few have gone a step further and also legalized online and mobile betting. This means you can bet on tennis games anywhere within state lines, either via an online sportsbook or mobile sports betting app, depending on the state. Online and mobile betting sports betting is currently available in:

•  Nevada – Online betting is only available via mobile apps.
•  New Jersey – Online betting is available via apps and browser sites.
•  West Virginia – Online betting is available via apps and browser sites.

In states where mobile tennis betting is legal, betting apps are available for both iOS and Android devices. However, requirements and regulations of mobile and online sports betting vary between each state. For example, Nevada bettors must create their account and verify their identity at a land-based sportsbook before they can use mobile betting apps.

Want to learn more about sports betting apps and how to pick the right app for you? Check out our sports betting apps guide for the all-important information.

Online Tennis Betting in New Jersey

Online Tennis Betting in Nevada

Online Tennis Betting in West Virginia

All clued in on tennis betting? Great, now you’re ready to have swing for yourself. You can count on the Betting US team to keep you up to date on the latest sports betting news and legislation, as well as the top US betting sites.