There’s more to sports betting than just calculating the odds and placing a wager on your favorite player or club. There are many different ways to wager on a sporting event, and you should familiarize yourself with the various options before placing any bets.
Parlays, Straight Wagers, and Moneyline Bets
Although it goes by a few different names, the straight bet is the simplest and most “traditional” approach to wager on sporting events. Put your money to one side and go on. You would wager on a specific player to triumph in a game of tennis, for example. In a game between two teams, such as football, you would pick one to win your wager.
The Point Spread
In the United States, point spread betting is common, especially on basketball and football games. To “cover” the spread and win your wager, your chosen side must defeat the margin of victory established by the sportsbook. Since it’s possible that not all teams are evenly matched, this system allows for the addition or subtraction of points based on how well or poorly each team performed.
The sportsbook assigns a point spread, expressed as a positive or negative number, to the favored team and an opposite number to the underdog team for each game. The sportsbook’s posted spread must be covered by the winning team, and the underdog’s point total must be greater than or equal to the spread.
Bets on the handicap, lines, and points
Sportsbooks use Handicap Bets, Line Bets, and Point Bets to try to level the playing field when teams or individuals are significantly mismatched. A “handicap” is used to describe this advantage, which the more skilled player or team has to overcome to win.
Over/Under Bets
It is possible to wager on the total amount of points gained in a game by placing an “over/under” bet with the bookmaker. Regardless of who ends up victorious, players have the opportunity to wager on whether the final tally will be greater than or less than the predetermined minimum. In football, for instance, if the over/under is 48, the bettor must decide if the final result will be 49 or 48 points. There will not be a draw or a push if the total number of points in the set includes the half-point. Bookmakers occasionally call “pushes” when they correctly forecast a total score that is a whole number. No matter what you decide, the sportsbook will give you your money back.
Boxing is one of the only major sports in which scoring isn’t as standardized as it is in other sports, and as a result, placing bets on the over/under is much simpler than doing so in those other sports.
Parlays/Accumulators
Multiple wagers, such as moneylines, over/unders, futures, and parlays, can be placed on a single game using a parlay. Bettors enjoy parlays because of their versatility and the ability to wager on games in several different sports at once, such as basketball, football, as well as hockey.
Futures/Outrights
When betting on a future event or series, known as a “future” or “outright,” the end result is not known on the day of placing. Major championships, such as the NBA Finals or the MLB World Series, are open for preseason wagering. These wagers make it possible to play a number of games without having to thoroughly examine each one. Determining the result of a game such as the Super Bowl requires both teams to qualify for the finals and win the game, which is not always the case. The bet is null and void if the team does not qualify for postseason play.
Specials/Prop Bets/Propositions
Propositions/Prop Bets are like futures bets except that they are placed on certain athletes or events. Predictions might include things like who scores first, how many times the Bucs score, or how many passes are caught. Additionally, bets can be placed on whether or not the announcer will use the word “dynasty” or how long the national anthem will last.