Table Tennis Betting: Markets, Odds and How to Bet on Table Tennis
October 21, 2026
Table tennis betting is betting on the outcome of a table tennis match: who wins, by how many games, by how many points, or how many points are played in total. There is no draw, and sportsbooks list hundreds of matches a day, most of them from daily leagues that start a new match every few minutes. This guide covers the scoring rules that decide every bet, each market you will see on a table tennis line, and what the numbers on that line mean.
The rules that matter for betting
The scoring comes from the ITTF’s Laws of Table Tennis, and three of them shape every market:
- A game goes to 11 points. If the score reaches 10-10, play goes on until one player leads by 2, so a game can end 12-10, 13-11 and so on. A game can never end level.
- A match is the best of an odd number of games. Most matches on a sportsbook’s list are best of five (first to three games); some, such as the Masters series in Russia, play best of seven (first to four). The match cannot be drawn either.
- Serve changes every 2 points, and from 10-10 every point. Points are scored on every rally, whoever serves.
Sportsbooks often call a game a “set”. A “sets handicap” or “total sets” market is about games, and “1st set” means the first game.
Table tennis betting markets
A single best-of-five match on 22bet carries dozens of markets. The prices below come from one pre-match line between a favourite and an underdog in the Pro League, and show what each market looks like.
| Market | What the bet is on | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| Match winner (1-2) | Who wins the match. Two outcomes, no draw. | Underdog 2.589 · Favourite 1.45 |
| Points handicap | The winner of the match after a points start is added over all games. | Underdog +5.5 at 1.80 · Favourite −5.5 at 1.86 |
| Total points | Points played in the whole match, over or under a line. | Over 75.5 at 1.87 · Under 75.5 at 1.79 |
| Individual total | Points scored by one player. | Favourite over or under 39.5 |
| Sets (games) handicap | The match result after a games start, usually ±1.5 or ±2.5. | Favourite −1.5 at 1.97 |
| Total sets (games) | Whether the match goes to 4 or 5 games. | Over 3.5 at 1.38 |
| Correct score | The final score in games: 3-0, 3-1, 3-2 either way. | Favourite 3-1 at 3.72 |
| Score after two sets | 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2 after the first two games. | 1-1 at 2.00 |
| Set / match double | Who wins the first game and who wins the match. | Favourite / favourite at 1.92 |
| Odd / even | Whether total points is an odd or an even number. | Even 1.82 · Odd 1.84 |
The same markets exist for each game on its own (first-game winner, first-game total points and handicap), and many of them are offered live, rally by rally.
Points handicap or sets handicap?
Both appear on the same match, and they are different bets. A points handicap of +5.5 adds 5.5 points to the underdog’s total over all games played. The bet wins if the underdog’s points plus 5.5 come to more than the favourite’s points, so it can win in a defeat: a 3-1 loss by 9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11 is 38 points to 42, and 38 + 5.5 beats 42. A sets handicap of +1.5 adds games instead: the underdog covers by winning, or by losing 3-2. A close 3-1 defeat wins a +5.5 points bet and loses a +1.5 sets bet. The handicap idea is the same as the point spread in American sports and the Asian handicap in football.
How a small rally edge becomes a big match edge
Table tennis compounds small advantages. A game is many rallies and a match is several games, so a player who is only slightly better per rally is much more likely to win the match. If a player wins every rally with the same probability, the chance of winning a game and a match follows exactly from the rules:
| Rallies won | Game won | Best of 5 won | Best of 7 won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| 51% | 53.9% | 57.2% | 58.4% |
| 52% | 57.7% | 64.2% | 66.5% |
| 53% | 61.5% | 70.8% | 73.8% |
| 54% | 65.1% | 76.7% | 80.3% |
| 55% | 68.7% | 81.9% | 85.6% |
| 57% | 75.3% | 89.9% | 93.2% |
| 60% | 83.6% | 96.6% | 98.4% |
Read it the other way and it explains the match prices. A favourite priced around 1.45 against 2.59 is expected to win about 64% of the time once the bookmaker’s margin is taken out of the two prices, and that corresponds to winning only about 52% of the rallies. Two players who look evenly matched rally for rally can still be priced far apart, and best of seven separates them further than best of five.
Total points: where the line comes from
Between two equal players, a single game lasts 18.8 points on average. The most common results are 11-9 and a game that reaches 10-10 (17.6% each), then 11-8 (16.7%), 11-7 (14.8%) and 11-6 (12.2%); an 11-0 game happens about once in a thousand.
The match total depends on two things: how many games are played and how close they are. Both shrink as the gap between the players grows, which is why a mismatch gets a lower total line than an even match:
| Favourite wins (rallies) | Average total points | Median | Match goes 4+ games | Favourite wins by 6+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 77.7 | 77 | 75.0% | 32.6% |
| 52% | 76.8 | 76 | 73.2% | 46.6% |
| 55% | 72.8 | 72 | 64.5% | 68.0% |
| 58% | 66.9 | 65 | 51.0% | 84.6% |
| 60% | 62.7 | 58 | 41.0% | 91.8% |
All figures are for a best-of-five match. In the example match above, a favourite who wins about 52% of the rallies gives a median total of 76 points, which is where the bookmaker’s total lines sat (74.5, 75.5 and 76.5). Best-of-seven matches run longer: about 109 points on average between equal players, which is why their total lines sit around 110 rather than 75.
Correct score in games
The same calculation gives the chance of each final score in a best-of-five match:
| Favourite wins (rallies) | 3-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 2-3 | 1-3 | 0-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50% | 12.5% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 12.5% |
| 52% | 19.2% | 24.4% | 20.6% | 15.1% | 13.1% | 7.6% |
| 55% | 32.4% | 30.4% | 19.1% | 8.7% | 6.3% | 3.1% |
| 58% | 48.0% | 31.3% | 13.6% | 3.8% | 2.4% | 1.0% |
| 60% | 58.5% | 28.7% | 9.4% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.4% |
These figures assume every rally is won with the same probability. Real players change level from game to game, so bookmakers’ correct-score prices do not follow the table exactly; it shows how the markets fit together, not what any single match will do.
Live table tennis betting
Because a match is short and every rally scores, a live table tennis line moves after every point: match winner, the current game, the next game, totals and handicaps are all repriced as the score changes. Two rules are worth keeping in mind when you follow a match live: the serve changes every two points, and from 10-10 a game runs on until someone leads by two, which is what pushes a game’s points past 20. The in-play betting guide explains how live prices and bet acceptance work in general. For tennis itself, see tennis betting.
Before you bet on table tennis
- Check the format. Best of five or best of seven changes every total and handicap. The total sets market tells you which: lines of 3.5 and 4.5 mean best of five.
- Points or sets? Read whether a handicap is in points or in games before you place it.
- Read the settlement rules. What happens to bets when a player retires or a match is not played to the end is set by each sportsbook’s rules.
- Convert the odds. Prices are usually decimal; the odds formats guide converts them into American and Asian formats.
Sports betting is for adults 18 and over. Set a budget before you bet and stop when it is used up.
22bet
20Bet
Table Tennis Betting FAQ
Can a table tennis match end in a draw?
No. A game must be won by 2 points and a match is the best of an odd number of games, so the match winner market has only two outcomes.
How many points is a game of table tennis?
11 points. If the score reaches 10-10, the game goes on until one player leads by 2, so it can end 12-10, 13-11 and so on.
What is a "set" in table tennis betting?
Sportsbooks use “set” for a game. A sets handicap is a handicap in games, and “1st set” is the first game.
What does +5.5 mean in table tennis betting?
It is usually a points handicap: 5.5 points are added to the player’s points over all games, and the bet wins if that total beats the opponent’s. A player can lose the match and still cover by keeping the points gap to 5 or fewer. Check whether the line is in points or in sets.
How many points are played in a table tennis match?
In a best-of-five match between equal players, about 78 on average; total lines for those matches usually sit in the 70s. The more one-sided the match, the lower the total. Best-of-seven matches average about 109 points between equal players.
What does over 75.5 mean in table tennis?
The bet wins if 76 or more points are played in the match, counting both players’ points in every game.
Why is a small favourite priced so short in table tennis?
Small edges compound. A player who wins 52% of the rallies wins a game 57.7% of the time and a best-of-five match 64.2% of the time.
Can you bet on table tennis live?
Yes. Many matches are offered in play, with the match, each game, totals and handicaps repriced as the score changes.