How to Bet on Tennis Online in Michigan

While tennis is not considered among the mainstream sports in the United States, it could be argued the recent rise in sports betting helped tennis grow the most. With the evolution to mobile live betting wagers, tennis has skyrocketed in popularity among sports bettors, fueled by the number of events played throughout the year. It’s the perfect sport for bettors who gamble at a high volume. This may surprise you, but tennis is near the top as one of the most popular sports to bet on.

Live and mobile betting changed the game for tennis bettors. Instead of rushing to get the gambling ticket in prior to the start of the match, users can monitor their devices and select different wagers while the match is going on. Bettors have to be quick as the lines move rapidly point by point.

The two main tours are the Association of Tennis Professionals on the men’s side and the Women’s Tennis Association for the women. Though there is so much tennis action throughout the year with various events, the four Grand Slam events are the most important: the US Open, Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

Futures betting is typically available for all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.

How to bet on tennis guide

Tennis bettors have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to making a wager. The variety of outcomes is similar to most sports, with a few unique wagers due to the sport’s scoring system.

How do tennis betting odds work?

  • Outright/match/handicap: Outright betting is a bet on a player to win the entire tournament. Match betting is a bet on who wins an individual match, and handicap betting refers to betting on the favorite or underdog to perform better or worse than the expected outcome, similar to point spread betting in other sports.
  • Moneyline: The moneyline is the simplest way to bet and easiest to understand. When you make a moneyline bet, you are choosing who wins the match. If you elect to bet on the favorite, there will likely be a lesser payout than cashing in on the underdog.
  • Game spread: The game spread in tennis takes into account the number of games won in a match. Oddsmakers set a number of games they expect the favorite to win by, and the bettor decides whether to bet the favorite or underdog.
  • Set spread: The set spread gives the sports bettor the opportunity to bet on the number of sets the favorite will win by. The bettor may choose the favorite or underdog based on what the oddsmakers place the set spread at.
  • Over/under: Over/under point totals betting in tennis features the total number of games expected in the match as decided by the oddsmakers. Bettors may choose either over or under, depending on their analysis of the match.

Live betting on tennis

Live betting on tennis matches has become big business in the sports betting industry. Having the ability to pull out your phone and place your wager while the action is happening live is a game changer for tennis bettors. Gamblers may decide to make several bets throughout the course of a match. Because of the rapid line movements changing by the second point by point, bettors need to be using a mobile device to place live bets and keep up with all the action.

Here are some of the basic live betting options gamblers have to choose from on tennis matches:

  • Live betting points: This is the quickest, most fast-paced way to bet on tennis and can be a thrilling way to bet the sport. Many online sportsbooks have the option to bet exactly how the next point will play out. Will the player serving earn the point, or will the return be good enough to bet the non-serving player? That’s the question, and this option may be bet for every single point throughout the match for high-volume bettors.
  • Live betting games: If live betting the points is too quick, live betting games might be a better choice for you to make a more informed decision. Bettors have the option to decide which player will win the individual game. The lines will still move fairly fast as points continue to be scored.
  • Live betting sets: This is the slowest of the live betting options, but bettors may bet on which player wins the individual set. Lines will still be moving but at a much slower rate than live betting games or points.

Live tennis bettors may have their own strategies, but a popular tennis betting tip is to ride the momentum. If the match is tied but you feel one of the players is building up steam and the other appears to be weakening, there could be some value in going after the hot hand to win the match.

Betting on tennis futures

Betting tennis futures refers to gambling on a particular outcome that is in the future, not simply an individual game, set or match. Most sportsbooks will regularly have tennis odds previewing the Grand Slam tournaments, showing which players are most likely to finish on top.

Futures odds may show the potential winners of the US Open, Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon for both the men’s and women’s tournaments. You are likely to find futures odds for individual tournaments as the season goes along.

Another possible futures bet gamblers can make would be the individual winner of Player of the Year in the WTA and ATP.

Tennis prop betting

Prop betting in tennis refers to a particular event occurring during a match instead of betting on the match’s final result. Here are some prop betting examples gamblers may choose to pick:

  • Who will win the first set?
  • Will there be a tiebreaker in the match?
  • How many aces will occur?
  • How many games will the match feature?

This is just a sampling of the many prop bets tennis gamblers have to choose from.

Betting on tennis Grand Slams

Tennis betting is at its peak during the four major tennis tournaments, referred to as a whole as the Grand Slam. Many sportsbooks will offer tons of options because they know lots of bets will come in during this time.

Information on each of the tournaments is below:

US Open

  • Date: 31 – Sept. 13, 2020
  • Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York
  • Playing surface: Hard court
  • Prize pool: $57.2 million in 2019
  • 2019 men’s winner: Rafael Nadal
  • 2019 women’s winner: Bianca Andreescu

2020 futures odds are off the board as COVID-19 uncertainty continues.

Australian Open

  • Date: 20 – Feb. 2, 2020
  • Location: Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Playing surface: Hard (GreenSet)
  • Prize pool: $49.2 million
  • 2020 men’s winner: Novak Djokovic
  • 2020 women’s winner: Sofia Kenin
  • Betting futures favorites (men): Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem
  • Betting futures favorites (women): Bianca Andreescu, Ashleigh Barty, Serena Williams

French Open

  • Date: 27 – Oct. 11, 2020
  • Location: Stade Roland Garros in Paris
  • Playing surface: Clay
  • Prize pool: $48 million in 2019
  • 2019 men’s winner: Rafael Nadal
  • 2019 women’s winner: Ashleigh Barty
  • Betting futures favorites (men): Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem
  • Betting futures favorites (women): Simona Halep, Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty

Wimbledon

  • Date: June 29 – July 12, 2020. Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Location: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom
  • Playing surface: Grass
  • Prize pool: $49.4 million in 2019
  • 2019 men’s winner: Novak Djokovic
  • 2019 women’s winner: Simona Halep
  • Betting futures favorites (men): Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas
  • Betting futures favorites (women): Ashleigh Barty, Bianca Andreescu, Serena Williams

Betting on the ATP/WTA tours

Aside from the Grand Slam tournaments, sports bettors have a variety of tournaments and events to choose from when analyzing the tennis season. While there will be fewer options to bet on than in a Grand Slam tournament, tennis bettors may pick and choose different options throughout the year.

Bettors may select outright winners for tournaments, live bet point by point and stay in the action for every single tournament if they so desire.

Here is a list of events scheduled for 2020 for the ATP and WTA. The schedules were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 ATP events

  • BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California; March 11 (canceled)
  • Miami Open presented by Itau in Miami, Florida; March 24 (canceled)
  • Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in Monte Carlo, Monaco; April 15 (suspended)
  • Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada; Aug. 9 (canceled)
  • Western & Southern Open in New York (moved from Ohio); Aug. 22
  • Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain; rescheduled to Sept. 13
  • Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, Italy; rescheduled to Sept. 20
  • Rolex Shanghai Masters in Shanghai, China; Oct. 10 (canceled)
  • Rolex Paris Masters in Paris, France; Nov. 1

WTA Events 2020

  • Hobart International in Hobart, Australia; Jan. 13
  • Oracle Challenger Series in Newport Beach, California; Jan. 27
  • Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico; March 2
  • 31st Palermo Ladies Open in Palermo, Italy; rescheduled to Aug. 3
  • Prague Open in Prague, Czech Republic; rescheduled to Aug. 10
  • Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain; rescheduled to Sept. 13
  • Taipei OEC Open in Taipei, Chinese Taipei; Oct. 5

Betting on men’s vs. women’s tennis

Whether you decide to wager on men’s or women’s tennis, it’s obviously the same sport, but they each offer a unique style of gameplay.

On the men’s side, look for more powerful players with swings that are difficult to return. In women’s matches, typically you will see players rely more on finesse and shooting balls in the correct spots. This is not the same in all cases, and trends may change as the sport evolves with new players entering professional tennis.

One aspect to consider is the amount of sets each sport plays. Men’s matches go up to five sets, while women’s matches typically feature three sets at most. Fatigue may play a factor later in matches.

Tennis betting rules

First, you need to find the rules as to what your sportsbook of choice does in each of these circumstances. Many books have similar rules and regulations, but some may vary slightly depending on where you are betting. Whether you are a new tennis bettor or not, sports gamblers should know the rules before diving into the action.

For example, here is a potential scenario you may see when you place your tennis wager. Just like all athletics, there is a possibility of an injury, and unlike most sports, nobody can come in off the bench because tennis is largely an individual sport.

So what happens in the case of an injury from which the participant cannot return? Sportsbooks handle this situation differently, but here are some of the options they may consider:

  • Ball served: All bets are honored once the first ball is served.
  • First set: At least one set must be completed for the bet to have an official outcome.
  • Second set: At least two sets must be completed for the bet to have an official outcome.
  • Match completed: The full match must be completed for the bet to count.

Tennis betting FAQ

There are four main tennis surfaces: grass, clay, hard and carpet courts.

Different tennis-playing surfaces may have a large impact on the overall outcome of the particular match or tournament. Clay courts are typically slower, giving the players more time to react. However, matches are typically longer on clay courts, so stamina plays a large role.

Grass, hard and carpet courts are typically faster, which favors the agility of certain tennis players. Having a powerful serve is crucial, as the returner does not have much time to react.

 

Roger Federer has the most tennis Grand Slams among men’s competitors with 20, while Margaret Court has the most Grand Slam titles among the women with 24 total.

 

This is completely up to the individual bettor. Try out a few different tennis betting strategies to see what works best for you. If you think you’re good at thinking on your feet and making fast and informed decisions, betting on points might be the best option for you. However, if you need a moment to think it over during a live tennis match, betting on sets or games might be a better way to go.

 

Sports bettors may find today’s tennis lines, predictions and odds on a variety of sports betting platforms. Sportsbooks like DraftKings or FanDuel will likely feature the latest lines and odds for bettors to select from.