How to Bet on Tennis with bet365

Cameron Kelly Updated: May 14 2026 17:44

In this guide, you'll learn how to bet on tennis by understanding common markets, odds, and strategies in 2026.

bet365 has a lot of different ways to bet on tennis, we'll explain how U.S. odds work, the different betting markets, and tips for betting on tennis.

How do Odds Work in Tennis?

When using bet365 in the United States and Canada, betting odds are deciphered by using the plus (+) or minus (-) signs, and are based on bettors wagering $100.

The minus sign indicates the expected winner (favorite) and offers a lower payout than the wager itself. A plus sign indicates an underdog, and comes with higher payout.

When a minus is present, the number shows how much you need to bet to win $100. When a plus sign is present the odds show how much you could win on a $100 bet.

Tennis Player	Odds	Bet Amount	Expected Payout
Novak Djokovic	+150	$100	$250
Jannik Sinner	-120	$100	$183.33

Tennis Betting Markets

On bet365, both men's and women's tennis have a wide range of betting markets, both pre-match and live In-play. The exact menu can vary by match, tournament, and slate, but these are the most common.

Tennis Moneyline

Tennis Moneyline betting is as simple as picking who is going to win the match. This is the most basic betting market in tennis, and allows bettors to select which tennis player will win.

In tennis moneyline betting on bet365, plus (+) odds indicate the underdog while minus (-) odds indicate the favorite to win the match.

Andrey Rublev	-175
Hamad Medjedovic	+137

Tennis Game Spread

Game Spread in tennis is when you bet on a player to win by a certain number of matches. A +2.5 spread means the underdog can lose by up to two games (or win outright) and still cover the spread. Meanwhile, -2.5 means the favorite must win by at least three games to cover and win the bet.

If Hamad Medjedovic is a -2.5 game favorite on bet365, he must win the match by at least three total games to cover the spread (6-4, 6-3). If he wins 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, he still wins the match but only by +2 games overall, so he did not cover the -2.5 spread.

Tennis Player	Spread	Odds
Andrey Rublev	+2.5	-110
Hamad Medjedovic	-2.5	-120

Tennis Over/Unders

Tennis over/under betting is a wager on whether the total number of games or sets in a match will be higher or lower than a number set. It focuses on the matches duration rather than the winner. It's meant for bettors wanting to predict whether a match will be close or not. The sportsbook will determine the line for the total sets in the match, and bettors can choose whether or not the players will have that many matches.

Tennis Prop Bets

bet365 offers a wide variety of tennis props:

Player Aces: A bet on "player aces" is a prediction of how many times a specific player will serve an unreturned ball that the opponent cannot touch.
Ace Totals: Is a wager on the combined number of aces a player will hit in a match, either going over or under the sportsbook's set line.
Total Breaks of Serve in a Match: This prop bets on how many times either player will win a game while their opponent is serving, measuring overall serve dominance and return pressure.
Total Tie Breaks in a Match: This is a wager on how many sets in a match will reach 6-6 score and require tiebreaker to decide the set.
Most Double Faults: This bet predicts which player will commit the most double faults during the match, focusing on serving errors rather than scoring
Total Aces 2-Way: total bet asks whether the total number of aces in a match will go over or under a set line, with no push option.

Tennis Futures Markets

There are future matches for both Men's and Women's tennis tournaments.

Outright Winner: An outright winner bet is a future wager on which player will win the entire tournament.
Total Sets Played in a Round: This bets on the total number of sets plyayed across a specific round of matches, measuring how competitive or straight-heavy that stage of the tournament will be
Grand Slam: A grand slam winner is a bet on a long-term future predicting which player will win one of the four grand slam tournaments
Stage of Elimination: This bet predicts how far a player will advance in a tournament, wagering on the exact round in which they will get knockout.

Tennis Parlays

A tennis parlay is a single wager that combines two or more individual bets, multiplying the potential payout while requiring all selections to win. If any single leg of the parlay loses, the bet loses.

An example would be betting on Aryna Sabalenka to win her match and Novak Djokovic to win his match, meaning both players must win their separate matches in the tournament for the parlay to cash.

Tennis Same Game Parlays

Same Game Parlay allows you to combine the most popular markets from selected events into one for a higher payout.

An example would be betting on Carlos Alcaraz to win the match and also taking him to cover the -2.5 game spread, meaning he would need to win the match and win by at least three total games for both parts of the bet to cash.

Live Tennis Betting

Live Betting is when a bettor makes a pick when the match is already in play. Moneylines, spreads, and totals update throughout the current set and ahead of the next game.

Live In-play betting on bet365 is when you place bets during a tennis match after it has already started, with odds changing in real time based on what is happening on court. For example, you could bet on Aryna Sablenka to win the match while she is down a set, or back Novak Djokovic to win the next set after losing the first.

Special Tennis Bets

Special tennis betting markets, especially during Grand Slam tournaments, offer more depth and opportunity than regular tour events because of the longer match formats and stronger competition.

In tournaments like Wimbledon or the US Open, bettors can explore not just match winners, but also set betting, total games, futures (tournament winners), and live in-play markets that shift over set matches.

Tips for Betting on Tennis

If you are new or a seasoned bettor, you need a strategy to bet on Tennis. Here are some tips below for your reference when betting on tennis.

Tennis Player Research

Before placing a tennis bet, player research is essential to understanding how a matchup is likely to unfold. This looks beyond rankings and focusing on form, playing style, and surface type. Since some players perform significantly better on clay, grass, or hard courts.

Manage Your Budget

Think about how much money you spend gambling. View Gambling as a source of entertainment, not a form of income. Do not gamble more than you are comfortable losing.

Responsible Gambling on Tennis

bet365 is committed to Safer Gambling for online sports betting. We promote gambling as an enjoyable leisure activity, and we believe that gambling can only remain this way if you stay in control and gamble responsibly. However, we know that for some people gambling can stop being a harmless leisure activity and become a problem.

For more on responsible gambling, bet365 has a dedicated resource page that can be found at https://responsiblegaming.nj.bet365.com/us.

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL OR TEXT
1-800-GAMBLER(AZ/CO/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/MI/NC/NJ/OH/PA/TN/VA) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ (18+KY). Must be present in AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA (select parishes) MD/MI/NC/NJ/OH/PA/TN/VA.

Tennis Betting FAQs

Here are some common questions and answers about betting on tennis.

1. What is a Break of Serve and Why Does it Matter?

A break of serve happens when returning player wins a game against the server, which is significant because serving is typically a strong advantage in tennis.

Since holds are expected, breaks are often the key moment that decide set matches. Players who consistently create and convert break opportunities are usually stronger overall and can present better betting value.

2. What Does "Break point" Mean?

A break point is when the returning player is one point away from winning a service game. Converting break points is a key stat when evaluating players.

3. What is a Straight Sets Win?

A straight sets win means a player wins without losing a set (2-0 or 3-0). Players like Iga Swiatek often dominate matches this way, which is useful for set betting markets.