What is Set Betting in Tennis?
What is Set Betting in Tennis? - Set Betting Guide & Tips
Tennis is one of the most popular sports to bet on, thanks to the fact that there are so many matches taking place throughout the year. From the ATP Finals and Grand Slam events to the full WTA Tour, you can bet on all the action at Stake’s online sportsbook. While most fans focus on the match result, it’s also possible to bet on sets. Find out how in this guide at Stake.com.
What is Set Betting in Tennis?
Tennis matches are decided by which player or team wins the most sets. Matches typically follow a best of three sets or best of five, with the first individual player or doubles team to win two or three sets respectively declared the winner.
Men’s matches at Grand Slam tournaments such as the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open are played to the best of five sets, while women’s matches and other tournaments use a best-of-three match format to decide the winner.
Set betting focuses on the result of sets rather than the match itself, with bettors able to predict the total number of sets played, the set score, and set winners. Because there’s more variety, set betting is often the preferred option over match betting. It offers more opportunities to find value and better returns compared to simply betting on the outcome of the match.
How Does Betting on Sets Work?
You can open any tennis match and select “Sets” to see the available set betting markets, with the current odds shown next to each bet. There are a lot of different set bets available on most games, and the search function allows you to quickly bring up what you’re looking for.
Set betting in tennis works exactly the same as betting on any other tennis market. Simply select the bet you want and then enter your stake. The odds at the time you place the bet will dictate your potential payout.
Set Betting Variations & Examples
There are lots of different types of set betting markets in tennis, including:
1st Set winner – This is a bet on which player you think will be the first to win the set during the match. For example, you could bet on Mateo Berrettini to win the first set in his next match. Regardless of the match result, you’ll win as long as he wins the first set.
2nd Set winner – Exactly the same as the previous market, only relating to the second set rather than the first.
1st set game handicap – This is a handicap bet on how many games each player will win during the first set. Favourite players will have a game handicap, while the underdogs have an equal game advantage. The favourite has to win by more than the handicap for your bet to win, while the underdog has to avoid losing by the same amount. For example, if you bet on -3.5 Novak Djokovic, he’ll have to win the first set by four games or more.
Correct score – Bet on the final outcome of the match and the exact scores. For example, you could bet that Grigor Dimitrov will win his upcoming match 2-0.
Set handicap – This type of bet applies a handicap or set advantage to either player. For example, if you select a player with a -1.5 set handicap, they’ll need to win 2-0 for your bet to win. If you bet on a player with a 1.5 set advantage, your bet will win as long as they don’t lose the match 2-0. This is useful when betting on a match with a significant rankings gap, as it evens the tennis betting odds between the players.
Player to win a set – You can also bet whether you think a certain player will win a single set during the match. Simply bet on yes or no for either player.
1st set total games – This is a prediction of how many games will be played in the first set. For example, you could bet over or under a total of 10.5 games.
1st set correct score – Bet on the correct score in the first set. For example, you could bet on Alexander Zverev beating Joel Schwärzler 6-3 in the first set.
Any set to nil – If you believe one player has a significant advantage over the other, you can also bet on them winning all the games in any set.
Exact sets – Bet on how many sets you think will be played. For evenly matched games, it’s much more likely to go to three or more sets.
To win exactly one set – If you think a player is unlikely to win but will still manage to take a set, bet on this market.
Advantages of Set Betting
There are lots of reasons why you might choose to use set betting when placing bets on individual matches:
More variety – There are lots of different types of set bets compared to common tennis betting markets, giving you more options to choose from.
Opportunity for value – When there are a larger number of bets to choose from on a match, you also have a better chance to find good value from your bets.
Better tennis betting odds – Compared to betting on the result of the match, you’ll often find improved betting odds when looking at set betting options.
Fits into your tennis strategy – You can use data and statistics to give yourself a better idea of what might happen during a set, and this can be useful when creating your tennis betting strategy. You can use our tennis betting guide to help maximise your strategy even further.
How to Place Tennis Bets on Stake Sportsbook
Betting on tennis at Stake is really simple. We have a complete guide to sports betting if you need more details, but following these steps will help you get started:
Log into your account and check you have the available funds to place a bet.
Make a deposit using any of the accepted payment types, with local currency or crypto.
Search for tennis and choose any of the available tournaments and upcoming matches for a list of tennis bets.
Live betting is also available, with a great range of pre-live and live betting markets.
Open a match to see all available stats and select the market you want to bet on.
View the live stream if you’re betting live to give yourself a better insight into the match.
Enter a responsible stake based on your budget into your bet slip and confirm, then watch the match. We encourage you to use our responsible gambling calculator to help set yourself an appropriate budget.
Tennis Betting Tips & Strategies
Pay attention to the stats – When you open a tennis match on Stake, there’s a huge array of stats and data to give you more insights and help you make your bets. They show current rankings and recent form as well as performance on certain surfaces. Bear these in mind when choosing your bets, and check the latest tennis betting tips.
Conditions – In tennis, the surface the match is played on and the conditions can have a major impact on player performance. Many tennis players have a preferred surface that they excel on. For example, Rafael Nadal on clay. Some also perform better indoors than outdoor courts.
Betting systems – If you want an easy way to manage your bankroll and stay in control of your bet sizes, you could also try out some betting systems, such as the Paroli, 1-3-2-6, and LaBouchere. Just remember to follow Stake Smart guidelines for responsible betting and learn the differences between progressive and negative betting systems.
What Are Other Popular Tennis Bet Types Available on Stake?
There are many different ways to bet on tennis at Stake, with major tournaments offering a huge number of markets on every match. Here are some of the most popular tennis markets you can bet on:
Winner
Games totals
Game handicap
Double result
Winner and total games
Odd/even games
Player props and game props
Futures/outright
Sports Promotions, VIP Club & Responsible Gambling
When you sign up to Stake, not only do you get the best odds on all upcoming and live tennis matches, but we have loads of great promotions for you to claim too. Our sports betting promos are available on all sports, including the final set tiebreaker payout.
There’s even an exclusive VIP Club you can join to earn special rewards. As you level up your VIP credentials, you’ll earn access to rakeback, reloads, and VIP hosts. Be sure to follow our Stake Smart guidelines and bet responsibly while enjoying your favourite sports.
