Sports betting has exploded in popularity over the past fifteen years and tennis has always been at the forefront of growth. Every day millions of people play tennis markets and the best bookmakers such as Mr Green will offer a wide range of options where you can bet and win money. This is everything from the winner of a tournament to the number of tie-breaks in a match. Of course, the popularity means that tennis betting is a vast and tough market. If you want to beat the market and win money, then it’s a good idea to keep up to date on tennis betting strategies.
In general
Tennis is one of those sports that takes place almost all year round, so this provides great opportunities for even the biggest tennis fan to be able to watch and play all year round. The Grand Slam and Masters tournaments take all the headlines, while the weekly tournaments at the ATP and WTA Tours are where the most dedicated tennis bettors focus their attention.
Grand Slam opportunities
When it comes to the big four Grand Slam events, the sheer volume of bets coming in from players who don’t play that often means bookmakers will take a more conservative approach to big names like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, putting them at low odds. This means there is often that value to be found elsewhere. Something like knowing when a top twenty player is getting into form means you can play them at temptingly high odds.
Think about ranking
ATP and WTA rankings work by resetting the points a player has earned for a tournament when the tournament comes around again. So players who have played above their ability at a tournament can see a massive drop in the rankings if they don’t repeat their level the following season. This is especially relevant for players vying for Grand Slam seeding spots. Betting on these players who are fighting with everything they have to keep their points can be a profitable approach.
Environments and adaptations
Tennis players are top athletes, but they are still human beings. Many of them have favourite tournaments, cities and courts. This may be because they know the area, have played well there in the past or simply because they enjoy the atmosphere. When a low-ranked player overperforms for no reason, be aware of it for the next time the player has to play in the same event.
Calendar, calendar, calendar
Tennis players have an extensive schedule and even the best pros will prioritize some tournaments over others for either physical or mental reasons. This is often seen leading up to a Grand Slam where everyone is focused on the big tournament, but can also happen every time a top 20 player competes in a smaller tournament. Be aware of which players often disappoint in these kinds of tournaments and be careful about betting on them at low odds the next time they show up in a similar smaller tournament.
Be careful betting on sets
It can be tempting to bet on sets because there are big wins to be had, but it pays to be careful. Players are not robots and even matches that should have a clear winner can easily end in three or five sets. If you want to play on set markets, be careful and do your homework on which players have a habit of losing focus and losing sets to inferior opponents.
Don’t overlook handicap
If you don’t feel that the odds on the match winner in the main markets are high enough, then it may be worth playing on handicap markets at Mr Green. These markets offer a handicap to the weaker players and can be profitable. One way to access this market is by looking at weaker players who however have a strong serve that is rarely broken. Here it can often be good to play on handicap as players will often get many points despite losing the match.
