The final grand slam of the 2022 tennis season is here. The players are in New York for the US Open. Let’s take a look at the best ways to approach betting on this prestigious event.
Here are 3 significant factors to consider when making tennis picks for the US Open.
1. Form
A player’s ranking is not necessarily indicative of how they are playing. Some players are ranked very high but have not played well over the last 2 to 3 months. Ranking points are accumulated over a year and oftentimes a player will use results early in the season to have a high ranking, yet they are not playing at the level to which their ranking indicates they should be. This is why checking a player’s form is important.
How to Really Know a Player’s Form
The tennis season has different sections on different surfaces. The season starts on hard courts, with the first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open. The first three months this season are mostly played on hard courts, with a nice little South American clay swing for players who prefer clay courts.
Then in April, the clay season is in full swing. After the end of the French Open at the beginning of June, the players play on grass for a month. Then, they begin the time of year we should be looking at for making these bets.
After Wimbledon, the players head to North America to begin their hard court swing. This is an area of the results which you should be looking at. Wins in the last month carry much more value than a win in February or March. Take a look at a player’s results in the last month, particularly at tournaments such as Toronto and Cincinnati, to see how well they are playing.
2. Individual Matchups
Some players play well against certain styles. Some players struggle against left-handed players. Even if you’re not a tennis expert, a quick Google search can usually indicate a player’s style. You can see how that matches up against their opponent, and search for similar results.
Also, make sure that you’re checking for left-handed players and see certain see results against left-handed players if that is the case. Oftentimes, players have highly skewed results against left-handers.
Watch Out for Left-Handers
Playing against the left-hander changes the focus of the game. When hitting the ball cross-court, which is the default for most players, if it is two right-handers playing against each other, they are both playing to their same stroke i.e. forehand to forehand, backhand to backhand.
When a left-hander plays a right-hander, their forehand goes to the backhand and vice versa. Some players excel with this, and some players really struggle. Make sure you check results against left-handed players.
3. Upsets Happen!
The difference in the level of play between the world number 20 and the world number 80 is very slim at this moment. Both the ATP and WTA tours have never been deeper. It is easy just to assume the favorite will win, but that is not the most profitable way to avoid to approach betting on tennis.
Upsets happen all the time. At the end of the first couple of days of the tournament, a number of big-name players in high seeds will be knocked out. The only thing that we can expect, is that there will be many unexpected results.
How to Deal With Upsets
Look for value on the moneyline, especially on the WTA side. Oftentimes the game spread is superfluous. Most underdogs who cover the game spread win the match outright. Therefore, by choosing underdogs, we have a chance to have huge unit increases.
If you’re playing odds of +200 or more, you don’t even need to pick at 50% to turn a profit. You’ll notice many seasoned tennis bettors have negative win-loss records for the week but are up multiple units. This is from attacking the plus-money side of underdogs and trying to anticipate upsets.
Don’t be afraid to take a big underdog. And if you are going to take the game spread, make sure you add a wager on the moneyline as well.
Final Thoughts
Three major factors for beginner sports betting on tennis are:
• Understanding form
• Playing style matchups
• Not being afraid to take the underdog.
Use these tricks as you learn how to bet on one of the most exciting and most bet-on sports in the world. Behind European football, tennis is the most wagered on sport worldwide, and for good reason. There are so many matches to bet on, and it is an exciting sport once you learn the ins and out of the tour.
Take these betting tips and have a profitable US Open betting season.
