What “Game Handicap +5.5” Means in Tennis
- In tennis betting, a game handicap levels the playing field by giving one player a head start in games (not sets).
- +5.5 games means the player you bet on starts the match with an extra 5.5 games in the calculation for the bet.
- After the match, you add 5.5 games to that player’s total games won.
- If, after adding 5.5, your player has more games than their opponent, your bet wins.
It doesn’t matter who wins the match itself — it’s about the games total after the handicap is applied.
Detailed Example
Imagine a match:
- Player A (favourite): Novak Djokovic
- Player B (underdog): John Isner
The bookmaker offers:
- Isner +5.5 games
- Djokovic -5.5 games
Scenario 1:
Final Score: Djokovic wins 6–4, 6–4
- Djokovic total games = 12
- Isner total games = 8
Apply handicap: Isner +5.5 → 8 + 5.5 = 13.5
Compare:
- Djokovic 12 vs Isner (with handicap) 13.5 → Your +5.5 bet on Isner wins
Scenario 2:
Final Score: Djokovic wins 6–2, 6–2
- Djokovic total games = 12
- Isner total games = 4
Apply handicap: Isner +5.5 → 4 + 5.5 = 9.5
Compare:
- Djokovic 12 vs Isner (with handicap) 9.5 → Bet loses
Even though Isner had a head start, the gap was too large.
Scenario 3:
Final Score: Djokovic wins 7–6, 6–7, 6–4
- Djokovic total games = 20
- Isner total games = 17
Apply handicap: Isner +5.5 → 17 + 5.5 = 22.5
Compare:
- Djokovic 20 vs Isner (with handicap) 22.5 → Your bet on Isner +5.5 wins
Betting Tips for +5.5 Game Handicap
- Great for Underdogs
- +5.5 is a big head start. Useful when you think the underdog will lose, but stay competitive.
- Check Playing Styles
- Big servers (like Isner, Opelka, Karlović) often play tight sets with tiebreaks, making +5.5 attractive.
- Surface Matters
- Clay courts tend to have more breaks of serve, so favourites can pull away in games.
- Hard/grass courts often produce close sets, good for +5.5 underdog bets.
- Look at Recent Form
- If the favourite has been winning easily (6–1, 6–2 scores), +5.5 might not be enough.
- If matches are tight, +5.5 has strong value.
- Use Live Betting
- If the underdog is holding serve well, odds on +5.5 may stay good even after a set loss.
Quick Rule of Thumb
- Pick +5.5 when you think the underdog will keep sets close (e.g., many 6–4 or 7–6 sets).
- Avoid +5.5 if you think the favourite will dominate (6–2 or 6–1 sets).
Would you like me to also show a reverse case (how -5.5 works for the favourite) to make this even clearer?