Sports Betting Guide - How it Works

When one consider betting and wagering on sports, straight bets are the most common types of betting. This is also known as ‘pick a team’ or just simply side bets. This involves making a choice on a contestant, or team or on the outcome of the game.

Generally games or competitions are identified by a contestant or a team that is favored above all the other contestants, this is represented by a (-) sign.

The team that is favored is referred as ‘the favorite’ to win on the games. The team that has les of a chance to win is represented by (+) sign and is also known as the ”underdog”.

In a standard straight bet a ‘bettor’ has the option to pick the ‘favorite’ or the ‘underdog’ in a game or contest while risking -110 odds. This means that the bettor is risking $110 to win $100 or in effect $11 to win $10. There are different straight bets.

The Point Spread or Handicap

Known as “the spread” or “the line”, the point spread is on the whole +used to even out the odds between two opponents or teams in a sport event. The team that is favored is handicapped by the subtraction of goals/points (this is indicated by the minus sign).

The spread or lines are created by the bookmakers. Figuring out if your wager has won you must calculate the goal or the point difference between the exact scores between the two opposing teams. If your bet covers the spread, you will have won.

The Moneyline

Basically the moneyline is an indicator of the odds a team needs to win a sporting event. The favorites are identified with lower odds.from the indicator a positive moneyline will show how much a bettor could win when they risk betting $100. A negative moneyline will show how much a bettor needs in order to risk to win $100.

With Moneylines there is no spread to cover. You just need to pick who could the event or game, the underdog or favorite. Picking a favorite a bettor risks more to win less, and betting on the underdogs they risk less to win more.

Sometimes you wil find that the stakes are too high so its probably best to not bet on it.

The Total Sports Bet

Game totals, this is also known as the over/under bet, what means is it is a wager placed on the total outcome of the sporting event, not one of the sides. A person betting is given the option to bet on the total score that it be more or less than a specific number. An Example, in a Pistons/Spurs you will want the game total toi be set at 176pts. So betting on an OV means you expect the combined scores of the Pistons and Spurs to be at lease 177 or more points when game ends and placing a bet on UN means you are placing a wager on the combined scores of both teams to be 176 or less at the end of the game.

Game totals for each sport has slightly different rules. For example soccer, the bookmakers will set the betting line as 2.5 goals and the bet will be settled at the end of the regular playtime. However in NBA, the bet take in the extra time.

You must also note that some bookmakers utilize slightly different requirements. Therefore before placing a wager on a game totals its best to check before placing the wager and ot make assumptions, take time to read the rules of a bookmaker very keenly. Another good idea is to choose sporting events that offer the clear choice insteas of jumping on every opportunity.

Straight Bets and bookmakers

We have already covered straight betting above. However some online bookmakers will offer reduced vig betting, this means the cost of the bets are reduced by a certain amount depending on the bookmaker’s odds on offer. Bookmakers constantly check the state or thing and when there is too much action on one side, some of the sportsbooks will weigh the odds and place them heavier on the opposite side in a hope that some counter action will balance the books.

Straight bets are a good choice, this is especially so if you plan to engage in sports better for a long period.