This is the easiest form of betting to place on a sporting event. A straight bet is when you wager a single amount on a particular game. This can come in the form of a money line wager (which team will win), a point spread wager (which team will cover the spread) a total wager (over/under) or even a player prop bet.
Live betting is quickly taking off as the best way to bet on sports. Simply put, if you live bet a game, you can make a wager while the game is currently being played. You can double down on your pre-game wager, or you can adjust and make another wager if things do not appear to be going your way. If you act fast enough, you may be able to catch a slow-moving market.
Betting on totals is another great option for those just starting out in the betting world. This is a wager where you predict if you think the number of runs/goals is going to be over or under the line set by the sportsbook. Totals can be as high as 232.5 in the NBA where points come fast and furious, or as low as 5.5 in NHL where goalscoring is much less frequent. It’s up to you to decide which side you will wager on.
This is the be all and end all of sports betting when it comes to football and basketball - both in the college and pro ranks. Betting on the favorite means that they win the game by X number of points, while betting on the underdog means they can either win the game or lose by less than the spread the oddsmakers have given them. For example, Boston -7.5 over New York. If you bet Boston, you need them to win by eight or more points. If you bet New York, as long as they lose by seven points or less, you will win your wager.
The goal of a wager on a Futures market is to correctly wager on which team you believe is going to win their respective championship. Future wagers also come in plenty of different forms such as season-long player props, league awards or season win totals. If you are the kind of person who is impatient and does not like to wait for things, this wager is not for you as your funds will be tied up for several months at a time.
Prop bets are becoming increasingly popular in the mainstream betting world as it doesn’t focus on the game’s outcome, rather a particular outcome of a player or team’s performance. Some prop bets include how many points a player will score, how many rushing yards a running back will rush for, or how many points a team will score at half time. There is a laundry list of props for every single game, and it can be overwhelming to those just starting out in the betting world.