Sports betting is a fun and exciting way to make money while enjoying the games you love. However, it’s also important to know your sports and understand the different types of bets that you can place before you start gambling. This will help you get the most out of your sports wagers and make the most money possible.
1. The Odds Explained
There are three main types of odds in sports betting: positive and negative, plus/minus and decimal. These will tell you the likelihood of a certain event happening and how much you’ll win for each bet.
2. The Point Spread and Totals Explained
The point spread and totals in football, basketball and hockey are used to measure how much each team should score. These numbers are set by the oddsmakers at each sportsbook. The oddsmakers use a number of factors to determine the point spreads and totals. These include the team’s performance in previous games, injuries to key players and weather conditions.
3. The Parlay Explained
A parlay is a type of bet that links multiple bets together into one wager with a greater payout. The amount you bet on each bet will vary, but they must all win to be paid out.
4. The Pleaser Explained
A pleaser is a wager that moves away from your team’s spread or total. This is a popular bet for savvy bettors because it can often land you very good odds if you’re right. For example, a 6-point pleaser involving two teams would land you +600 or 6-to-1 odds if you win.
5. The Labouchere System Explained
The labouchere is a system of betting that involves betting on different amounts for each unit of your bet. It works like the martingale, but instead of using a fixed amount for each unit, you add the winnings from each bet to your base bet amount when it wins.
6. The Futures Bet Explained
Betting on futures is similar to other bets, but it’s much longer. It’s a great way to get into the game for less risk and take advantage of big payouts. The downside, though, is that there are a lot of things that can go wrong with a team over the course of a season.
7. The Over/Under Explained
In football, the over and under are the most popular bets because they can be very profitable. They are especially useful in games that have many teams that are favored, but don’t have a clear favorite. This allows bettors to even the playing field and still make a profit.
8. The Moneyline Explained
The moneyline is the most basic type of bet in sports betting. It is a simple bet that essentially means that you’ll win if the team you bet on wins the game. The odds are set by the oddsmakers, and a $100 bet will win you $250 if the team wins.
9. The Bookmakers Explained
The bookmakers are the people who accept bets and set the odds. They set the odds based on the information at hand, and they may adjust them if new information comes in. If a team has a bad start or if a player is injured, the bookmaker may lower their odds to encourage bettors to take them on. This is called “juice” and it can make the odds more favorable for a team that’s starting out badly.