The crown jewels of tennis betting are the Grand Slams: The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. But tennis betting isn’t exclusive to the Slams. You can bet on every tournament on the ATP and WTA circuits, most notably Masters 1000 events, the Davis Cup, and the Olympics.
If you’re ready to bet on tennis online in Maryland, see below for how tennis betting works, what tennis bets you can place, and the best online sportsbooks for tennis odds.
Best tennis betting sites in Maryland
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How to start betting on tennis online in Maryland
Follow these few simple steps to get started tennis betting online:
- Click on our links to navigate to the sportsbook of your choosing.
- Sign up for an account. You’ll be asked to provide basic account and identity details.
- Go to the cashier and make a deposit.
- Use whatever Maryland sports betting bonus is on offer.
- Go to the sports lobby and find the tennis tab.
- Find your preferred odds and markets and start betting!
How tennis betting works
Betting on tennis is similar to betting on many mainstream sports in the United States.
To start, you need to find a sportsbook with solid tennis markets, register, and top up your betting account. There are plenty of tennis-friendly sportsbooks operating in Maryland, so you’ll have no shortage of options. Almost every brand also offers a sports betting app, which you can use to bet from your phone or tablet.
There are several different ways you can bet on an individual tennis match. Typically, sportsbooks will release futures odds for an upcoming tournament well in advance, so you’ll have plenty of time to weigh up your picks.
When it comes to Masters 1000 events, which have a grueling day-to-day format, sportsbooks will update odds for head-to-head matchups after each round.
Some sportsbooks will allow you to place in-play tennis bets and cash in on the fluctuating odds. With live tennis betting, you’ll need to jump on favorable lines quickly since they are constantly being re-calibrated as the match progresses.
In terms of market selection, tennis is one of the most diverse sports you can bet on. Be it lower-level futures and challengers or top-tier Masters 1000 and Grand Slam events, there is a wide array of wager types for bettors to capitalize on.
Here’s a rundown of the most popular types of tennis bets:
Moneyline betting (Match winner)
Betting on the moneyline is the simplest and most common way to bet on tennis. It works just like in any other sport; you’re required to pick the straight-up winner of the match. The player with the plus sign (+) indicates the underdog, while favorites have a minus sign (-) in front of the number.
As an example, let’s use a hypothetical match between Rafael Nadal and John Isner. The moneyline would look something like this at FanDuel Sportsbook in Maryland:
- Rafael Nadal -240
- John Isner +250
Nadal is a heavy favorite in this faceoff, regardless of the surface on which the match is played. To win $100 on the Spaniard’s victory, you would have to pay $240. Conversely, if you decided to bet $100 on Isner, and he pulls an upset and wins the match, you’d get a $250 payout.
Spread betting (Game, Set)
Although these bets are more popular in competitions like the NFL or NBA, tennis betting has its variation of the spread. Tennis matches are often one-sided, especially during the early stages of the tournaments, which is why sportsbooks have introduced the spread to level the playing field.
In tennis spread betting, you can focus on the game spread or the set spread.
When it comes to the game spread, the favorite must win by more than the margin, while the underdog must stay within it. For example, let’s look at the following tennis spread bet that you might see at the DraftKings online sportsbook in Maryland:
- Novak Djokovic -6.5
- Taylor Fritz +6.5
In this case, if you were to bet on Djokovic, he would have to win seven more games than Fritz for your bet to be a winning one. On the flip side, you could bet on Fritz, and he could lose by six games or less or win the match outright, and your bet would still be seen as a win.
The set spread works just like the game spread. The only difference is that you would be betting on sets instead of games. Naturally, the margin for set spreads is much narrower since best-of-three matches will usually have a set line of +/- 1.5.
Over/Under (Totals)
Another way to bet on tennis is to try to predict the total number of games or sets played in a match. For a best-of-five match, the over/under line would probably be set at around 38.5. For instance, if you decided to bet on over, you would need the match to be close and to last at least 39 games. If a blowout occurred and the match consisted of only 30 games, you’d lose.
Tennis futures
Futures in tennis focus on events that will happen further down the road. Some typical examples of futures bets include trying to predict who will win the US Open this year, who will claim the year-end world No.1 ranking, how many slams a player will win in a year, and so forth.
Tennis futures can be incredibly entertaining, as you can enjoy them for most of the season. Also, they often pay out handsomely if you get them right. The downside is that futures are much riskier than standard bets since they are determined over longer periods.
Tennis props
Props or proposition bets are wagers based on statistics that do not directly affect the outcome of the match. For example, a prop bet in tennis would allow you to predict the total number of aces served in a match or the number of winners hit by a specific player.
This pretty much sums up all the core types of wagers you’ll find on the tennis betting menu. Depending on the sportsbook and the tournament in question, you may also come across other choices, such as the correct score and head-to-head betting, to name a few.
What are the best bets in tennis?
It depends on your betting preferences, skill level, and budget. If you’re a rookie who wants to keep it casual, then moneyline is your best bet. Since there are no draws in tennis, you merely have to pick between one or the other player to win the match.
Moneyline betting in tennis doesn’t provide much value during the early stages since there is a huge odds disparity between the top-seeded players and the tournament underdogs. However, the odds gap gets narrowed down from quarter-finals onward, when the elite players are the only ones left standing, providing plenty of opportunities for sharp bettors.
If you want to take it up a few notches, then you should consider laying a futures bet and forecasting the winner of the whole thing. Of course, futures betting can be applied to more than just specific Majors. You can also try to predict who will make a deeper run at a particular tournament, how many Slams a specific player will win in a calendar year, or some other occurrences that might happen in the foreseeable future.
With these bets, the odds are released at the beginning of the year, but they can vary throughout a season. The favorites are usually placed at the top of the odds board, whereas long-shot contenders can be found at the bottom and everyone else in the middle.
There are a few pros and cons associated with futures betting in tennis. The biggest advantage is, of course, a huge payout potential. Even a small-sized bet on a dark horse or long shot could land you hefty profits. On the flip side, your cash will be locked up for a long time, during which things could get haywire. A player might get injured, perform poorly on a specific surface, or simply hit a slump partway through the season.
Ultimately, it’s just like betting on other sports — it all comes down to calculating the risks and potential rewards.
How to bet on tennis live
Live or in-play betting in tennis allows you to make bets while the match is in full swing. Instead of simply betting before the match begins, you can get in on the action after a couple of games or sets have been played.
The odds change rapidly with in-play tennis betting. With all the potential momentum shifts, seasoned bettors do try to take advantage of live tennis markets to try to lock in guaranteed profits. For instance, if Novak Djokovic is down 3-0 in the fifth set at the Australian Open Finals, you can bet on him +600 live. Then, if he makes a comeback, which he often does, you can take his opponent at +300 live, which means no matter how the match ends you make a guaranteed profit.
Note: This is a rare feat only accomplished by the most seasoned bettors. We don’t recommend trying to shoot for these kinds of betting moments. Still, live betting is especially exciting and all the upper-echelon sportsbooks have a diverse live tennis betting portfolio, which usually includes the following markets:
- Winner of the next point, game, or set
- Race to bets (first player to win a certain number of games)
- Tiebreak props (whether a certain set goes to a tiebreaker)
- Correct score
- Moneylines, spread, and totals with updated odds and margins
Betting on the Grand Slams
The four Grand Slams are the most prestigious annual tennis events. They gather the cream of the crop, who come to compete for titles that will define their respective careers. On the men’s side, USA tennis has hit a slump. What used to be a sport Americans dominated in the 90s is now a sport ruled by other nations.
Andy Roddick was the last American to win a Grand Slam men’s singles tournament at the US Open in 2003. Since then, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have taken over the sport and raised the bar to never-before-seen levels. All eyes are now on Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, who are regarded as the newest hopes expected to put American men’s tennis on the map again after a long dry spell.
The sportsbooks are the most active around these prime-time events, often dishing out exotic bets that aren’t available otherwise. For instance, you can bet on which player will go deeper in the tournament than another, who will serve the most aces, and lots of other game-specific props.
Because the futures odds are set so far ahead of the Slams, the payouts on them can be incredibly high. Below, we’ll have a look at each of the four Grand Slams and highlight some stats about these tournaments.
Australian Open odds
The Australian Open is the opening Slam, taking place under the scorching Melbourne sun in late January each year. The tournament is played on a speedy hardcourt surface, benefiting big servers and power hitters. Fitness has also proven to be a decisive factor, mainly due to the insufferable heat that players encounter at Melbourne Park. Here is some key information regarding betting on the Australian Open:
- Date: January/February
- Location: Melbourne Park
- Surface: Acrylic hard courts
- Prize pool: $61.95 million for men’s and women’s tournaments in 2021
- Defending champions: Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka
- Most titles: Novak Djokovic (9) and Serena Williams (7)
- Founded: 1905
When it comes to the futures betting on men’s singles at the Australian Open, it’s hard to look past Novak Djokovic, who managed to clinch his ninth title in 2021. The next generation, featuring Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Daniil Medvedev, are slowly catching up, making deep runs in the tournament year in and year out.
French Open odds
The French Open gets underway between late May and early June at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris. It’s the only Slam played on clay, which is a surface that gives many players hassle. It gives an edge to baseline players and those who use lots of spins and are capable of finding great angles. Historically, the French Open has been known to suit South American and Spanish players, who are generally regarded as clay-court specialists. Here are the key facts for those looking to bet on the French Open:
- Date: May/June
- Location: Stade Roland Garros
- Surface: Red clay
- Prize pool: $44.71 million for men’s and women’s tournaments in 2021
- Defending champions: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek
- Most titles: Rafael Nadal (13) Justine Henin, Monica Seles (3)
- Founded: 1891
Rafael Nadal is the undisputed king of the French Open, with jaw-dropping 13 titles. Likely suspects to dethrone him in the foreseeable future include Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Alexander Zverev.
Wimbledon odds
Wimbledon rolls out right after the French Open, in late June and early July. It’s held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London.
Wimbledon is widely regarded as the most prestigious of all the Slams, simply due to the royalty aura and rich tradition associated with the tournament. It’s the only major played on grass, the fastest surface in tennis.
Due to the speed of the surface, the serve plays more of a key part in the game than it does on clay and hard courts. It comes as no surprise then that bombers like Isner, Querrey, and Opelka have produced their best tennis at Wimbledon. Here’s some key facts to consider when betting on Wimbledon:
- Date: June/July
- Location: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
- Surface: Grass
- Prize pool: $61.95 million for men’s and women’s tournaments in 2021
- Defending champions: Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep
- Most titles: Roger Federer (8), Martina Navratilova (9)
- Founded: 1877
US Open odds
By the time the US Open kicks off in late August, bettors should already have a good indication as to which players are expected to perform well at the year’s final Grand Slam. Hosted in New York, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, the US open switches back to hard courts that lend themselves well to the players with powerful groundstrokes. Here are some tournament details to bear in mind before betting on the US Open:
- Date: Aug./Sept.
- Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City
- Surface: Acrylic hard courts
- Prize pool: $53.4 million for men’s and women’s tournaments in 2020
- Defending champions: Dominic Thiem and Naomi Osaka
- Most titles: Roger Federer (5), Serena Williams (6)
- Founded: 1881
Tennis betting tips for Grand Slams
Grand Slams provide a lot of unique betting opportunities for you to profit despite the odds being heavily skewed in favor of higher-seeded players. Here are a few tennis betting strategies that you may find helpful for Grand Slam betting:
- Keep an eye out for previous head-to-head encounters: Head-to-head records play a pivotal role in tennis betting, as they can give you an insight as to whether or not a specific player is a good matchup against the opponent. When assessing the head-to-head history, you should always consider the surface where the players have played most of their matches.
- The playing surface is very important: Surface is one of the key factors to evaluate when placing a bet on tennis Grand Slam events. As we’ve discussed earlier, the slams are played on different surfaces, which bode well for different types of players. Speed of play, length of rallies, player movements, and serve are all affected by the surface. It’s not rare to see clay-court specialists struggling on hard courts or big servers losing much of their power on clay.
- Form matters: As in all other sports, form is vital in tennis betting. For that reason, you should always look at the player’s recent results. For example, if a player hasn’t been able to advance past the second round in the last couple of tournaments, he or she could be nursing an injury that you may not be aware of. This is the kind of information you need to learn to gain the necessary advantage over the sportsbooks.
Betting on Davis Cup and international matches
Grand Slams are the highlights of the tennis calendar, there’s no doubt about it. However, there are a bunch of other world-class events governed by the ATP and WTA, as well as the ITF and the UTR.
The Davis Cup is the biggest annual competition in tennis on an international level. Next in the line is the Billie Jean King Cup, the most elite international competition in women’s tennis.
Small heads-up: These events aren’t available at all Maryland sportsbooks, or at least the betting program is not as diverse as it is for the Slams and Masters 1000 events. Still, if you dig deep enough, you should be able to find a bunch of cool options to try out.
Betting on tennis in the Olympics
As per Mayland sports betting legislation, sportsbooks are allowed to accept wagers at the Olympics. This means that tennis betting fans will be in for a special treat come July 23, 2021, when the Summer Olympics in Tokyo is scheduled to begin.
Tennis at the Olympics includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles. You can expect a robust betting assortment for Olympic tennis at all Maryland sportsbooks, including at Barstool Maryland Sportsbook, PointsBet Sportsbook Maryland, and FoxBet Maryland.
Key tennis betting rules
All legal sportsbooks in Maryland have their own set of rules. The exact manner in which operators handle different situations could vary from one site to another, which is why it’s paramount that you check out the sportsbook’s T&C policy before swinging into action.
Here a few unique specifics to keep in mind:
- With most sportsbooks, the match is treated as a push if the first set hasn’t been completed.
- In case of a walkover, all bets made on that match will be deemed as void.
- Tiebreak counts as one single game, regardless of how many points it takes.
- When a player retires during the match, the bets will be considered active if at least one set has been completed.
In most cases, the bet is considered active as soon as the first ball has been served. However, unexpected occurrences, like disqualifications or retirements, are treated differently.