Monte Carlo Rolex Masters Tennis 2017 predictions, betting tips & live stream links: Friday's best bets in Monte Carlo

Betting on the 2017 Monte Carlo Masters is very straight-forward. Every major bookmaker will offer outright odds, bets on who will each quarter and then a wide range of match betting options. To find the various markets available, simply go to the bookmaker of your choice and head to the TENNIS menu, which will either be found via a direct link on the homepage or in the A-Z menu. Once there simply scroll through the different options and find the bet of your choice.

If you want to place accumulator bets on matches then simply click on the odds for each player and they will automatically be added to your betting slip. Once you have made your selections, click on the slip and all available multiple options will be displayed. Input your stake and place your bets.

All bookmakers will offer odds on the outright winner in Monte Carlo. This will be available throughout the tournament and the odds will be updated after each match. Some firms even offer outright betting while matches are in play. Each-way terms on this bet are 1/2 odds for 1,2 places. This means that if you bet on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at odds of 28/1 and he loses in the final then you will lose half your stake but the other half will be paid at odds of 11/1, which would result in a profit. Be aware that you must select "each-way" on your betslip if you wish to have this insurance and that your stake will be doubled - a £10 each-way bet on Tsonga will require a total stake of £20.

This bet is only available pre-tournament with some bookmakers. The bet is for a player to win their quarter of the draw, which is effectively saying that the player will make the semi-finals. This bet can be a good way to profit from players who have been given a good draw but who are unlikely to progress to the final or to win the tournament. 

All bookmakers will offer odds on individual match winners and it is simply a case of backing who you think will win the match.

This is as simple as it seems, you bet on the final score in the match. There are four options; 2-0, 2-1, 1-2 and 0-2 and the bookmaker will offer odds on each. If you are correct then you win your bet.

Most bookmakers will offer game handicap betting on the Monte Carlo Masters matches. This is where you don't bet on a player to win the match but attempt to predict by how many games they will win. The bookmakers set a predicted game line to give both players odds of around even money and then you make your selection on whether the line is correct or not. This is a good bet to place when there are strong favourites in a match. Rafael Nadal, for example, will be a big favourite to win his opening match in Monte Carlo. There will be some that will think that the world number one will win easily and so may want to bet on him to beat his opponent by more than six games (6-3, 6-3 or better) while there are others who may think that Murray will be pushed and they can bet on the underdog to cover the handicap line (keep the match to a game gap of six games or under).

Similar to the handicap, the bookmaker will set a line on how many games there will be in a match. The odds will then be roughly even money on either side of the line and punters have to decide whether there will be more or less than the amount of games predicted. A standard line for a hot favourite may be around 20 games, which would mean a 6-4, 6-4 win. If you think that there will be more than that (in a match where there are big servers for example) then you can bet on the Over. If you think there will be less then you can back Under. It doesn't matter who wins the match, simply how many games are played.

All bookmakers now offer in-play betting and the number of markets vary depending on the firm. bet365 tend to have the most and are quickest to update due to their live streaming technology, which is often ahead of the TV pictures. They will offer markets ranging from match winner to next point and the odds will reflect how the match is panning out. There are, however, often opportunities for tennis experts to read the game better than the traders and so to make a profit in-play.