Sports Betting 101

There are a number of different ways to place a bet on sports. Some people bet on individual players or teams, while others bet on prop bets, which aren’t directly related to the outcome of the game. Some examples include betting on the length of the national anthem at the Super Bowl or the color of Gatorade the winning coach will drink. A recent survey by Morning Consult found that 25% of Americans over the age of 21 have placed a sports bet in the past year, and that 18% have bet at least once a month. Another study showed that ten percent of those who bet on sports every day have placed more than one bet on a single game.

Moneylines

Moneylines for sports betting are odds that are based on the probability of a team winning the game. The odds are usually listed on both sides of the moneyline. The moneyline odds can be large or small, depending on which team is considered the favorite.

Parlays

A parlay is a type of betting strategy that involves placing multiple bets on one outcome. It is also known as a combo bet, multiple bet, or accumulator. This type of betting strategy depends on all wagers being successful, so the goal is to have all of the bets win together.

Futures bets

If you enjoy betting on sports, you may be interested in futures bets. This type of betting involves making predictions about multiple games in a season. The payouts on these bets tend to be smaller, but they can still pay off if you get it right. Futures bets are popular with casual bettors, and the number of them is steadily increasing every year.

Football teasers

Football teasers are a form of betting in which you place a bet on a favorite over an underdog. The idea behind this type of betting is to get the line to go lower on the favorite than the underdog. Typically, the teaser bet involves six, 6.5, or seven points. If you place your bet on a team with the lowest point spread, you can get a premium for that selection, which is usually more than the standard point spread.

Over/Under bets

In sports betting, you can bet on Over/Under games, which means that you bet on whether the score will be over or under the total. Typically, these bets are expressed as fractions, so you might have odds of 45/45 or -105/115. If you bet on the over/under, you win a unit for every two points that the team scores in the game. In football, for example, the final score must be 46 or higher or less than 44.