The summer might be a slower time for sports betting, but for those who are seeking niche sports to wager on, the French Open might be perfect for you. We're officially right on the cusp of the most important time of year for tennis bettors, as the French Open and Wimbledon are separated by just a few weeks.
WHAT TO KNOW
The French Open actually technically starts on May 19 with qualifying for the event. There are 128 men who will go through three rounds to try to get into one of the 16 qualifying spots for the main field over the course of the next several days.
Many of those men trying to get into the field are Frenchmen who have reached this point by winning satellite tournaments against locals.
It isn't often that you see a qualifier go far in the French Open, and in fact, just seeing one get into the third day of the main event is unusual. However, here in Paris, more so than in any other location in the world, home court advantage is legitimate.
For both the men and the women, the French love cheering on their countrymen and countrywomen, and they are starved to see a local win this event.
The last man to win the French Open was Yannick Noah in 1983. The last woman to do so was Mary Pierce in 2000.
MEN'S FRENCH OPEN
Novak Djokovic -125
Rafael Nadal +325
Andy Murray +980
Roger Federer +2050
Kei Nishikori +2550
Stanislav Wawrinka +4050
Tomas Berdych +4750
David Ferrer +6250
Grigor Dimitrov +11250
Gael Monfils +11250
Milos Raonic +12000
Marin Cilic +30000
The Field (Any Other Player) +1800
For all intents and purposes, there isn't a doubt that the finale of the men's event is going to be Novak Djokovic against Rafael Nadal. Sure, there are some possibilities to get in the way, but it would take a massive upset to see either go down.
Nadal has won this tournament four straight years and nine times in his last 10 years, making him the most accomplished player in French Open history in the modern era in either men's or women's tennis.
Nadal has lost just one time here at Roland Garros, that coming in 2009.
Djokovic needs this jewel to win the career Grand Slam, and after breezing through the Australian Open and posting a few other major tournament wins along the way, he has to be sky high with confidence. That said, Djokovic has already lost the final to Nadal twice, including both in 2012 and 2014, and he has been beaten earlier in the tournament twice by the Spaniard as well.
This is the first time since the mid-2000s that Nadal wasn’t the odds on favorite to win the French Open, which could be a sign that his time at the top is finally coming to a close.
WOMEN'S FRENCH OPEN
Serena Williams +260
Maria Sharapova +440
Simona Halep +475
Petra Kvitova +1100
Victoria Azarenka +1150
Caroline Wozniacki +2450
Carla Suarez Navarro +2550
Eugenie Bouchard +3050
Angelique Kerber +4250
Garbine Muguruza Blanco +4250
Listing all of the French Open odds on the women's side would be a bit cumbersome, but you get a really good idea of what should happen if the chalk holds on this side by looking at this listing above.
Serena Williams feels like she has been on top of women's tennis forever, but the fact of the matter is that she has only won this tournament twice, once in 2002 and once in 2013.
Maria Sharapova hasn't had the best year in the world, but she is the princess of the clay courts at the moment with wins in both the 2012 and 2014 French Opens.
However, do be aware that there have been some wild results here at Roland Garros on the women's side. Italian women have had no luck in any of the other Grand Slam events for decades, but Francesca Schiavone won this event in 2010 and was a finalist in 2011. Sara Errani was also a finalist in 2012.
Li Na won China's first ever Grand Slam event when she won the French Open in 2011, while last year, Simona Halep made it to her first Grand Slam final in her three-set loss to Sharapova.
There have been three unranked finalists in the last nine years of this tournament, proof that even some of the players who are 200 to 1 or better might be good bets if you can find the right diamond in the rough.
The tennis online odds for the French Open will be first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on all of the matches between every commercial break with BookMaker's live betting feature. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don't have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don't miss out on getting paid because you couldn't bet. Click here, and deposit at BookMaker now! The French Open will begin on Sunday, May 24, 2015 and continue through the finals on Sunday, June 7, 2015 at Roland Garros in Paris, France. Live matches will be seen throughout the tourney on NBC and the Tennis Channel.
