Since ancient times, sports betting has enjoyed a steady rise in popularity. You can place a sports bet online with your favorite book, or pick up a selection via your cell phone. All of this is done from the comfort and convenience of your own home. There has never been a better way to place sports bets than this.
Sports wagering can bring extreme excitement to people who love sports, as well as serious gamblers who want to make smarter money. Before you begin sports betting, it is important to know the basics.
This article will cover the 8 main terms and definitions that are commonly used in sports betting.
- Straight Bets
Straight bets tend to be the most popular. This bet is only on one side and you can win. Straight bets are made using either the money or point spread. The format of the line will differ depending on what sport you are betting.
A parlay is a bet that includes two or more teams (events), where all teams must win. The payout odds for multiple events increase because it is more difficult than one event to predict.
A teaser, a special kind of parlay in sports betting, allows you to adjust the point spread or total for each play. Additional points are added to the favorite, or subtracted. Lower payout odds to win the teaser wagers are possible by moving the point spread (teasing).
A prop is a bet that the sports book offers on unique topics. These bets could be placed on sporting events, politics and even trials. These wagers utilize the money-line format of payoff odds. Examples include who scores first in the Super Bowl, who will win the next Presidential election, and whether or not O. J. is found guilty.
In sports betting, the futures odds for the winners (a team and a player) at major events or tournaments are posted before the season begins. The odds may change over time depending on how each team performs in the series. However, the odds at the time that your wager was placed will still be in effect.
To bet on totals in sports betting you must wager on the total run, goal, and points of both teams during the game. You can bet over – Sports betting allows you to bet on the total points scored by two teams. Or, you can place a bet on Under – In sports betting, a bet where the bettor bets that the combined points of two teams will exceed a set number.
This is the score differential that the sportsbook predicts between two teams. The odds makers set a “line”, which is the number of points that will be scored in each game. The odds makers will place a minus sign after a number on the favorite team, while a plus sign will follow a number on the underdog team. Here’s a sample NFL line:
Chicago + 7
Baltimore satta -7
Baltimore is the favourite and must win by at most 8 points. If they win by more than 7 points, the game will be a “push” (or tie) and you’ll get your stake back. If Baltimore wins by less than 6 points, or loses the match, the money will be returned to those who placed a wager on Chicago.
A lot of times, you’ll see 1/2 point. Baltimore for instance is -71/2 points. This eliminates “pushes” as a team can’t score half of a goal.
Sometimes, the spread for a game is “Pick”, or “PK”. This is when the spread is 0 and no points apply… just pick the winner. Point spread bets are either straight- or parlay bets.
They can be described as odds expressed in money. When there is an minus sign (-), you place that amount to win 100 dollars. However, if there is a plus sign (+), you receive that amount for each hundred dollars wagered. The plus sign stands for the underdog and the minus sign refers to the favorites.
