A Beginner’s Guide to Sports Betting

If you’re starting out in the world of sports betting, it can be helpful if you familiarize yourself with common terms. When you understand these terms, you’ll be able to make better wagers, and your chances of winning will increase.

Read below to learn some of the fundamentals of sports betting. You can also check this page for sports-related news and updates to give you a further edge.

Things You Need to Know in Sports Betting

All of the sports you can bet on have common terms used by oddsmakers. When you have a firm grasp of these terms, you will find yourself having a better gaming experience. After all, knowledge is power.

Favorites vs. Underdogs

It’s the job of the oddsmakers to determine which team will be the favorite or the underdog in a game. With American odds, there will be a negative sign next to the odds given to the favorite team. As for the underdog, they’ll get a plus sign, which shows they’re more likely to lose. Regardless, you will receive a higher payout when betting on the underdog.

In sports, when only two outcomes are possible, this will help you understand the lingo. In sports such as horse racing, though, a favorite could stand less than a 50% chance of winning the race since the odds are divided between many other horses.

Over/Unders (Totals)

Over/Under is a kind of bet where the favorite and underdog are assigned a point total by the oddsmaker. The total score is then used as a betting line for either “over or under” wagers. You should remember that this bet doesn’t require you to predict the exact final score.

Parlay/Accumulator

A parlay combines two or more bets to form a single wager with a larger payout. The only catch is that all your selections must be successful in order for your bet to pay out.

For example, you can invest $10 on a single bet consisting of three games rather than betting on each game. If all three bets are successful, you’ll receive your reward, but if one of the games loses, you lose your bet.

Props

Props or proposition bets are bets placed on anything that doesn’t revolve around the outcome of the match or score.:

Lionel Messi to take a throwing
For the game to result in a penalty shootout
For Manchester United to finish outside the top four

Proposition bets are great when you have a hunch and want to back your instincts. You can have a lot of fun telling your friends of the success you had.

Conclusion

The decision of how much to wager on a game is dependent on you. However, it’s always a good idea to only bet on what you can afford to lose. When it comes to betting, you can expect good and bad days. Therefore, you should only wager between 1% and 5% of your bankroll on a single game.