The convenience of online sports betting makes it possible to wager on all the most exciting athletic events. Our introduction to the various sports bets is valuable for newcomers and seasoned pros alike. Reading up on the various betting methods will help you to bet with your head rather than your heart, establish realistic goals, and gauge your level of risk tolerance.
Which Wagers Do People Typically Make?
Moneyline and over/under bets are the ones newcomers to sports betting are most likely to encounter. These wagers are the most popular because they are simple to test out and easy for beginners to grasp. Let’s dive deeper into these basic betting methods so you’re prepared to place wagers on the next intriguing contests.
The Money Line
The money line bet, sometimes known as the “win bet,” is the simplest type of wager possible. You can put a bet on a game or match by picking the team or player you think will win. You can put a money line wager on an NFL game between, say, the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots, depending on your research, understanding of the game, or even just your favourite team. Simply put, if the team you bet on triumphs, you collect your winnings. As a beginner to online sports betting, it’s better to stick to the basics and avoid making any wagers that could change based on information like the score or the difference in points between the teams.
The Over/Under Bet
The over/under wager is known as the “total bet” among American sports bettors. Bettors who prefer to avoid picking a winner can do so with the over/under wager. Instead, they are wagering on the overall score of a game. When a sports book casino posts its forecasts, sports bettors can wager on whether or not the combined score of both teams will exceed or fall short of a specified figure.
A bookmaker might post a 190-point total for a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance. That leaves sports bettors deciding whether they think the total score will be more than or lower than 190. The totals or over/under bet will be successful if the bettor made the proper prediction.
Point Spread
Bettors frequently use the point spread. This form of gambling is commonly known as a “handicap bet” in Europe. The point spread indicates which team the sportsbook believes will win the game. After making their picks, the oddsmakers will determine a likely winning margin. The sports bettors will then wager on whether the sportsbook’s expected pick or margin is an overstatement or understatement.
For an upcoming NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, a sports book casino may set the point spread at +5, meaning that the Bulls are favoured to win by that margin. Bettors who want to wager on the game’s point spread must decide whether the sportsbook’s projection is high or low.
Future Bets
A futures bet, also known as an outright bet, is a type of wager in which the bettor predicts the overall winner of a given sporting event. The word “futures” comes from the fact that bets are typically placed long before the actual sporting event takes place. Futures bets in sports need extensive research on the part of the bettor.
These are some of the most difficult bets to predict accurately, but they also provide some of the largest payouts. Futures bets are high-risk but have the potential for large returns, something sports bettors should bear in mind.
Futures Contracts
If you’re bored with the usual sports wagers and want to try something new, a proposition bet might be just the ticket. Prop bets in sports betting allow you to wager on anything, which can lead to some strange outcomes. Predicting the time of the first goal in a soccer game, or the first team to score a touchdown in an NFL game, are both examples of so-called “prop bets.” These are just a few of the many possible proposition bets in the sports betting market. Prop bets are fun for sports bettors who are interested in wagering on outcomes that are more of a novelty than a potential game changer. More intriguing proposition bet examples include the following:
- Which team, if any, will score first in a baseball game?
- Is a hole-in-one possible at a golf tournament?
- The first person to flip a coin wins.
The Parlay Bet
The parlay bet is for you if you’re feeling particularly bold and like you’re starting to get the hang of sports betting. These are more complex and hazardous than other forms of bets, so beginners should steer clear of them at first. Parlay wagers are notoriously difficult to understand since they require the selection of multiple selections that are combined into a single wager.
Sports bettors, for instance, can make a “parlay” wager consisting of three separate NFL teams. Point spreads, money lines and total bets are all options for the parlay ticket. However, the odds for each game are the same as they would be for any other type of individual wager. All three selections must win for the parlay bet to be successful. If even one of your predictions turns out to be wrong, you lose the whole wager. Parlays are highly high-risk, thus you should have experience before you try them. The higher stakes are accompanied by larger rewards, though.
Football Betting is Very Popular
In the NFL, point spreads are the most common wager. When betting on a game, sportsbooks use a point spread to make the two teams more comparable to one another. Many sports bettors would choose the Houston Texans to beat the Miami Dolphins (10-2) in that game. These spread bets can ensure that all bettors have an equal chance of winning by preventing biased wagering. Betting online, you’ll see a plus sign (+) and minus sign (-) next to each team:
- +14 Dolphins (-110) for Miami
- Texas A&M Aggies -14 (-110).
The aforementioned odds indicate that the Houston Texans are a 14-point favourite, meaning that a 15-point victory is required for Texans backers to collect on their wagers. Underdog bettors will collect if the Dolphins lose by 13 points or fewer. The figures in brackets denote that an R 1800 wager has an R 1900 risk.
Current Golf Betting Trends
Golf is a fantastic sport to wager on because there is always a competition to watch and wager on. One of the most common types of golf wagers is the futures bet, in which the sportsbook determines the odds of victory for each player. This implies that gamblers have their pick of the field, with odds for each player listed separately. Picking a winner from a pool of seventy competitors can feel hopeless and like the chances are stacked against you. If you’re an expert golfer and make a good prediction, the payout may be substantial. Find out more about what the difference is between betting and online gambling.