Tennis is a great sport to play, watch and bet on, so it is quite obvious that its popularity is constantly growing. With that, bookmakers are offering bets on almost every match, even if it is just an exhibition. In that environment, you have to stay extremely sharp in order to make money. But day after day, I still see people playing picks that are suspicious or without any value at all. Therefore, I have tried to identify some of the mistakes tennis Tipsters usually make, so you can learn andsave some money. Here are the biggest ones.

5. Playing players that have won a tournament recently

Everyone who has been involved in tennis betting knows the feeling. You look at the match-up and say to yourself: "This is so obvious! This guy has won a tournament last week, so he has to be in good form. There is no way he can lose to this average Joe here!" And yet, he does. You know, tennis players actually can get tired and lose the next match after winning a tournament. Or they may just want to have a break. One prime example from the recent weeks is Viktor Troicki. He has won a tough tournament in Moscow and was scheduled to play against a rather average player, Schuettler. He lost the first set and came back in the second, but just did not have enough energy to compete in the decider. Also, he was looking forward to the tournament in Basel, so he probably wanted to save some energy for that one. This scenario happens way too often, so you should be looking to bet against the players that have a winning week behind them. Remember this, as this is definitely something that is very easy to avoid, yet so many people do it time and time again.

4. Taking huge handicaps on overrated favorites

With most players gradually improving their serve, you should always think twice before considering a handicap like -6, even with the favorite being Federer or Nadal. Everyone remembers the tight clashes in many tournaments - the favorite usually wins, but perhaps just by a few games and you are left in tears. Remember how Federer struggled against Falla this year? The handicap was 10 games and the bet was guaranteed to lose even before the fifth set. And the next match? Federer favored by 9, winning by 5. See the trend? Huge handicaps are the ones to avoid or to go against. Bookies know that people always overrate the favorites - so bear that in mind the next time you will think that Federer will "just walk over someone".

3. Playing accumulators

You should never put more than 2-3 matches together and you should stay with single bets as much as possible. Losing Tipstersalways look at the odds and put all the favorites together - they have
to get, say, 10 matches right to get odds of about 2 or 2.50. Round after round, they lose. There is always something that goes wrong - Berdych losing to Llodra (odds of 1.14), Federer losing to Montanes (1.12) or Nadal losing to Ljubicic (1.14). Playing big accumulators is the way to poverty and I mean it. Sports betting is not that easy. Of course, you may hit one or two accumulators on occasion, but nobody has been able to win with them consistently. If people did, bookmakers would go bankrupt. And they don't. See the connection?

2. Having a bet on every single match

The rule to remember here is very simple. You do not have to bet on every match. I know it sounds obvious, but if there is a match coming up shortly and you still have some spare money left in your account, don't you feel tempted? You do, right? And you know what usually follows - you place your bet without proper analysis and consideration. Next time, save your money. It may seem weird, but you can actually watch a match without having a bet on it. It may not be packed with adrenaline, but you will not lose your hard-earned cash. There is always another day or tournament to come. With matches that you will be able to predict more carefully. So save your money for that!

1. Not analyzing matches enough

This is by far the biggest mistake that everyone (even myself) does. In order to be able to win consistently, you must always look at the match you are considering from many different angles. Watch matches - there are many free online streams. Look how players are performing. Is their serve working? Are they making too many unforced errors? Are they playing with an injury? Or are they just a little bit unlucky? Has one of the players played too many matches recently? These are just some of the questions you have to ask before placing a bet. Look at possible flaws in your reasoning. You can never analyze a match enough, trust me. Do not bet just because you "have a feeling" or just because player A is ranked higher than player B. Read tennis forums, consider the opinions of others and perhaps even post your own. Also, always remember to look for the best odds that are available, as not doing that is just giving money away. Perfect your reasoning and stay sharp. Or just stay away.