Sports Betting, from Simple to Complex
Interested in sports betting, but want to keep it simple? We understand that placing your first sports bet can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, sports betting can be as simple or as complex as you’d like it to be. In this article we will cover some betting options, starting with the most basic.
Sports betting is often considered one of the easiest forms of gambling. When placing a sports bet, the goal is essentially to wager money on the outcome you think is most likely to happen. If you’re correct, you win the bet, and if you’re wrong, you’ll lose that bet.
Sports betting can be a great way to become involved even if you don’t have a wide understanding of sports. All that is required is that you have the most basic understanding of what you’re betting on. In fact, the reason sports betting is so popular is that you don’t actually have to know anything beyond the basics.
The Most Basic Sports Bet
A win bet (known as a Moneyline bet in the U.S.) is simply betting on who will win. Usually, the team most likely to win will be called the favorite, and the less favored team is known as the underdog. Because of this, the underdog bet will net you a larger win then if you were to bet on the favored team. But if you bet on the favorite, you will need to wager more money then you stand to win.
That’s it, as simple as that. Next, all you need to do is visit a recommended sportsbook, determine the amount you wish to wager and place your bet.
More Complex Sports Bets
For those who are really into sports, and want to dive into more complex bets this section is for you. Another thing that makes sports betting so popular, is that it offers something for all personality types, and allows for an unlimited number of betting options. We’ve already covered the most basic one above, the “win bet”. A lot of sports fans will stick to this type of bet, but there are many other options that allow for better chances of winning larger sums of money.
These bets are not as straightforward as the above win bet, and while some are still easy to understand, others are a bit more complex.
Live Betting
The above most basic type of betting is called fixed odd betting, that is, all bets are placed before the event starts. With live betting, ongoing real-time wagers can be placed during the game. This opens up an ever-changing betting environment, with a new range of betting options. Several online sportsbooks now include this feature.
Spread Betting
Spread Betting is a type of betting where you choose if the spread will be higher or lower then what the bookmaker has posted. The amount you win or lose is dependent upon how much higher or lower that number is. If you wager on the number of goals scored in a football game, the bookmaker may post a 4-5 spread. You then choose if there will be less then four goals or more then 5. If more than 5 goals, that is called buying the spread. For every additional goal scored after 5, you will win one multiple of your initial bet. But beware, the same rules apply in reverse if you lose. Obtaining less than four goals would be known as, selling the spread.