Tennis is the second most popular sport among bettors after football. Yes, tennis match listings don’t offer the same variety of markets as football. But the advantage is that numerous matches are available for betting every day, year-round. Let’s break down what a handicap means in tennis, its types, pros and cons. This market is exactly what makes tennis betting more varied and profitable. Let’s see which factors drive that.
What does a handicap mean in tennis?
A handicap in tennis, as in other sports, is a bet on an advantage in a certain quantitative indicator.
There are two key groups of such handicaps:
- By games – the main type. If the bookmaker’s listing shows the market name “Handicap” without any clarifications, it means the advantage is by games. The spread offered depends on the balance of power between favorite and underdog, as well as the match format – best of three or best of five sets.
- By sets – this clarification is always specified in the bookmaker’s listing. There are far fewer bet options here. For matches played to two sets won, the line is +/-1.5; for best-of-five matches – +/-1.5, +/-2.5.
Bookmakers also offer H1/H2 by games in a set. For evenly matched opponents, the spread is +/-1.5, +/-2.5. If one player is significantly stronger than the other, the advantage figures can be higher – up to 5.5.
Some bookmakers that account for the number of aces offer an ace handicap market. But this is extremely rare. Only a handful of bookmakers offer it, mainly for men’s Grand Slam matches.
Types of handicaps in tennis
Traditionally, only the European handicap format is offered in this sport.
When figuring out what a handicap is in tennis betting, note two types:
- Positive and negative half-line. Let’s look at an example. At the Metz tournament, Alexander Bublik faces Lorenzo Sonego. We stake $10 on the Kazakh to win with a (−1.5) handicap at odds of 2.00. If the number of games Bublik wins exceeds his opponent’s by two or more, the bet wins and the payout is $20.
- Integer positive/negative, as well as zero – 0, ±1, ±2, etc. In the same match, we stake $10 on Alexander with handicap (0) at 1.80. If Bublik wins more games than Sonego, we receive $18. If the game counts are equal, the $10 is returned. And if Lorenzo wins on games – our bet loses.
For example, the match ends 0:6, 6:4, 6:4. The first player wins the match but loses on games 12:14.
Features of handicap betting in tennis
Here are several important points that characterize this market’s specifics:
- allows you to look for attractive odds in matchups where 1×2 prices don’t suit the player;
- serves as insurance when evenly matched opponents meet and it’s unclear who will win the match overall;
- available across a wide range of lines – you can take risks and back higher odds, or play safer with lower ones to maximize protection against loss;
- present in the listings of almost all online bookmakers, since it is highly popular among bettors.
Another important point is the bookmaker’s margin. Discrepancies can be significant. For top Grand Slam or Masters matches, the commission is around 3–5%, while for most encounters at less prominent ATP and WTA tournaments it rises to 9–13%. Because of this, long-term play can be unprofitable.
How to place a bet on this market?
The betting procedure is standard:
- register on the bookmaker’s site, log in, and fund your account;
- in the line, select the “Tennis” section, the tournament, and the match of interest;
- find the handicap market – the main games handicap is right after the basic markets, the sets handicap is a bit lower;
- add the chosen handicap and corresponding odds to the bet slip, enter the stake amount, and place the bet.
Betting strategies
Once you understand what a handicap means in tennis, you can devise and implement different betting schemes and strategies. Here are several key principles on which most of them are based:
- Negative handicap on the favorite. Back stronger players pre-match, boosting the price with negative handicaps by sets or games. It’s important to bet on motivated favorites who aim to win quickly without dragging the match out. Avoid matches where the favorite has just had a long tournament run, reaching late stages – semifinals, finals.
- Positive handicaps for the underdog. Bookmakers often set pre-match prices by player ranking. A favorite may have high status and a long winning streak. But precisely because of that streak, he has played many matches and enters with functional fatigue. The underdog then has every chance, if not to win, at least to take many games.
- On a trailing favorite in Live. The setup is simple – if the stronger player is trailing in the set 0:1, 1:2, 2:3, the odds on him to win the set tick up, even if slightly. Use such moments to back the potential winner in the set or match with a (-1) or (-2) handicap.
Pros and Cons
The main plus is availability and presence in the listings of virtually all online bookmakers. The market allows you to adjust prices relative to 1×2 and also use an element of insurance. But there are some drawbacks.
High bookmaker margins on lower-profile matches can cause long-term losses. To avoid this, you need a solid understanding of tennis and diligent effort during pre-match analysis.
