The All England Club has announced the odds for the most prestigious tennis tournament of the year. The 2018 Wimbledon Championships odds are out and they are some crazy numbers!
Let’s examine these odds and what they mean.
Odds Meaning
Odds can be deceiving. They often do not represent the financial strength of the team or tournament being bet upon. For example, the +100 odds for the championship are not necessarily bad. It just means that the bookmaker thinks the favorites will win about 100-1.
Things get interesting when we start looking at betting odds of 300+. That is significant because it means that the team or tournament has been cut loose from the bookmaker. They are essentially making a wager that they believe the selected team or player will win the match, or series of matches, in question. Typically, teams and players that are cut loose from bookmakers like this have good fortune in winning their matches and tournaments.
Tournament Implies A Single Match
The biggest takeaway from the odds above is that they refer to only one match, the final. This means that all of the previous rounds are considered to be part of the buildup to the final showdown. Think of it like this: The first two or three sets will be battle wounds that heal as the contest draws closer and closer to its conclusion. What happens in the fourth set is what ultimately decides the match. This is why the tennis world watches and bets on the fourth set so closely. We are really looking at the cumulative effect of all the previous rounds, not the individual ones.
Tournament Is Heavily Favorized
Another interesting thing to look at in the odds above is the heavy favoritism in the championship. There are only five participants in the men’s singles title match and all of them have the favorites (or the opposite) as their betting odds. This means that gamblers should expect some very close, competitive matches. The top seed at Wimbledon has been the favorite in every year of the tournament’s history. This is probably because most people believe that he is the best player in the world and it is not really close. Even though the favorites usually win, it is not an easy feat. In fact, they have lost a record 27 out of 78 finals, which is about three-quarters of the entire tournament’s history. This year is no different and the favorites are once again the overwhelming favorites to win the coveted Wimbledon singles trophy.
No Clear Favorite
The final point to make here is that although there is a clear favorite to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon, that person is not yet determined. As of right now, according to the All England Club, there are five contenders for the top spot. They are:
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) – 6/4
- Roger Federer (Switzerland) – 6/1
- Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) – 11/8
- Willem Johan de Klerk (South Africa) – 14/1
- Grégory Fillibert (France) – 16/1
Bookmakers’ Favor
Finally, it is important to note the bookmakers’ favor in this year’s Wimbledon championship. As you can see above, the favorites are overwhelming favorites to win this year’s men’s singles title and this is because the bookmakers think that this year’s crop of competitors is particularly weaker than in previous years. Of course, the opposite is usually true but this year it is more true than usual. There are only a few reputable sources that we have for tennis odds and betting information, but the SportsBetting website is one of them. They have very strong track records with important announcements like these and it is always a good idea to check out their odds and betting info before making any kind of wager.
Just remember, the closer the match gets to the end, the more volatile it becomes. This is especially important in the men’s singles final where a lot is at stake. In other words, a lot of money is on the line and close calls are more likely. This is why it is always a good idea to keep an eye on the score, especially in the fourth set, because the bookmakers know that this is when the rubber really meets the road, so to speak, in these competitive matches. This is when the tension is at its peak and the crowd is buzzing. Regardless, of whether you are a fan of the sport or you are simply watching because you enjoy a good battle, the men’s singles final is one of the most exciting matches to look forward to at this year’s Wimbledon.