Contents
- Introduction
- How to read sports bets?
- a) Moneyline bets
- b) Point spread bets
- c) Totals (over/under) bets
- Different types of sports bets
- a) Straight bets
- b) Parlays
- c) Teasers
- d) If-bets
- Bankroll management
- Betting systems
- Sports betting psychology
- Handicapping
- Sports betting odds
- Live betting
- Sports betting tips
Bt Consults How to Read Sports Bets? is a blog that will show you how to read sports bets in order to make better choices when gambling on sports.
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Introduction
Have you ever wondered how to read sports bets? It’s actually not that difficult, once you know what all the terminology means. Here is a quick primer on some of the most common types of bets you’ll see when looking at a sports betting lines:
Betting against the spread: This is the most common type of bet, and it simply means betting on which team will win or lose, without factoring in the margin of victory. The margin of victory is also known as the “point spread,” and it is this that you are betting against when making this type of wager. For example, if a team is favored to win by 7 points, then they must win by more than 7 points for you to win your bet. If they only win by 6 points, then you will lose your bet.
Moneyline bets: These are simply bets on which team will win outright, regardless of the margin of victory. Moneyline bets are usually reserved for betting on underdogs, as favorites will often have too low of odds to make them worth placing a moneyline bet on.
Over/under bets: These are bets on whether the total score of a game will be above or below a certain number. For example, if the over/under on a game is set at 48 points, then you would bet on whether the two teams combined would score more or less than 48 points.
How to read sports bets?
Most sports fans are familiar with the point spread, which is the number of points that the oddsmakers believe one team will win or lose by. The point spread is always expressed as a whole number, with a minus sign (-) indicating the favorite and a plus sign (+) indicating the underdog. For example, if the point spread for a football game is 7, that means that the favorite needs to win by more than 7 points to cover the spread, while the underdog can lose by up to 7 points and still cover.
a) Moneyline bets
A moneyline bet is a bet on which team will win the game. The team that is favored to win will have a minus sign next to their odds, and the underdog will have a plus sign. For example, if the New England Patriots are playing the Miami Dolphins, and the Patriots are -180 favorites, that means that if you bet $180 on the Patriots, you will win $100. If you bet $100 on the Dolphins, you will win $180.
b) Point spread bets
In point spread betting, the sportsbook will set a number of points that the favored team must win by in order for bettors who bet on them to receive a return. The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -5.5), and the underdog is indicated by a plus sign (e.g. +5.5). If you bet on the favorite, they must win by more than the number of points set by the sportsbook in order for you to receive a return; if you bet on the underdog, they can lose by up to the number of points set by the sportsbook and you will still receive a return.
c) Totals (over/under) bets
Totals (over/under) bets are wagers on the total points scored in a game. The sportsbook sets a line, such as 48, and bettors wager whether the final score will be over or under that number. If the final score is 49, then the bet is a winner, because it went over the total. If the final score is 47, then the bet is a loser, because it went under the total.
Different types of sports bets
bets, types of bets, straight bets, parlays, teasers,if bets, reverses, run line bet, puck line bet
Different types of sports bets
There are many different types of sports bets that can be made on a variety of different sports. The most common type of bet is a straight bet, which is simply a bet on a single team or outcome.
Parlays are another popular type of bet, which are essentially a combination of two or more straight bets. Teasers are similar to parlays, but with modified point spreads or totals to make the bet more favorable.
If-bets and reverses are two more unique types of bets that allow you to essentially combine multiple straight bets into one. A run line bet is a type of bet specific to baseball, while a puck line bet is specific to hockey.
a) Straight bets
A “straight” bet is the most common type of football bet. A straight bet is any single bet that is not a parlay, teaser, pleaser, if-bet or prop bet. That means if you make a $100 straight bet on the Giants -3, you will win $100 if the Giants win by 3 or more points.
b) Parlays
In a parlay, also known as a accumulator or combo bet, you combine two or more bets on different events into a single wager. If any of your bets lose, the entire parlay loses. This can create massive payouts (hence their popularity) but they’re also high risk because one loss can sink the whole ship.
With a teaser, you add or subtract points from the spread to get a more favorable line. For example, let’s say you want to bet on the Patriots as 7-point favorites against the Jets. But, you think the Patriots will win by more than a touchdown. So, you decide to tease the line down to 3 points. Now, instead of taking the Patriots at -7, you’re taking them at -3. In order for you to win your bet, the Patriots must win by at least 4 points.
If you teased the Jets +7 up to +11, then they would need to lose by fewer than 12 points for you to win your bet.
Teasers are usually 6-, 6.5- or 7-point wagers, but some books will offer 4- or 5-point teasers as well.
The problem with teasers is that they’re usually -110 bets. In other words, for every $110 you bet, you can win $100. So, if you’re going to bet on a teaser, make sure it contains plenty of value.
The best way to do that is by teasing multiple games together. For instance, let’s say you want to bet two-team teaser where both teams must cover the spread for you to cash your ticket.
d) If-bets
An if-bet consists of two or more wagers that are linked together. The first wager in the if-bet must win in order for the second wager to be placed. If the second wager wins, then the third wager is placed, and so on. However, if any of the wagers in the if-bet loses, then the entire bet is lost.
Bankroll management
Different types of bets have different house edges. For example, the house edge on a pass line bet in craps is only 1.41%. That’s pretty good! However, the house edge on a proposition bet is usually around 16%. That’s not so good.
So, one of the most important things you can do to help ensure that you’re a winning sports bettor is to focus on making bets with a low house edge. If you can find bets with a low house edge and you manage your bankroll properly, you will be a winning sports bettor over the long run.
Managing your bankroll properly is also important. Be sure to set aside enough money to last your entire trip to the casino. It’s also a good idea to set aside some money for unexpected expenses.
And finally, don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. This may seem like common sense, but it’s important to remember that even the best sports bettors sometimes lose. If you bet more than you can afford to lose, you will eventually go broke.
Betting systems
With so many different types of bets, lines, and odds, it can be difficult for sports bettors to know where to start. However, with a little bit of guidance, anyone can learn how to read sports bets and become a successful sports bettor.
The first step is to understand the different types of bets that are available. The most common type of bet is the point spread bet, which is where a bettor picks one team to win by a certain number of points. For example, if the New England Patriots are playing the Buffalo Bills, and the point spread is 7 points, then the Patriots would need to win by more than 7 points for a bettor who picked them to win to cash their ticket. On the other hand, if the Bills were to win outright or lose by less than 7 points, then the bettor who picked the Patriots would lose their bet.
Another common type of bet is the moneyline bet, which is simply picking one team to win outright. Moneyline bets don’t have anything to do with points spreads, so it doesn’t matter how many points a team wins or loses by. All that matters is who wins the game.
There are also props bets, which are wagers on anything that can happen during a game that isn’t directly related to the outcome of the game itself. For example, a prop bet on Super Bowl Sunday might be “Which team will score first?” or “What will be the final score?” These types of bets can be a lot of fun and give bettors an opportunity to win even if their team loses outright.
Once you understand the different types of bets that are available, you can start looking at lines and odds. Lines are simply betting lines that oddsmakers set for each game. Odds are essentially how likely something is to happen according to the oddsmakers. The higher the odds are, the less likely it is to happen. For example, if oddsmakers set the line for an NFL game at Patriots -7 (-110), that means they think the Patriots are 7 point favorites and have a 52% chance of winning outright. Conversely, if oddsmakers set the line for an NFL game at Bills +7 (-110), they think have Buffalo as 7 point underdogs with only a 48% chance winning outright
Sports betting psychology
Sports betting psychology is the study of how people think when they are gambling on sporting events. It is a relatively new field, but it has already made a significant impact on the way that sports betting is conducted. The goal of this branch of psychology is to understand why people gamble on sports, and to examine how they can be helped to make better decisions.
much research has been conducted on the subject of sports betting psychology, and there are a number of theories that have been put forward to explain why people gamble. One theory suggests that people are attracted to gambling because it offers them a sense of control over their environment. When you place a bet, you are essentially saying that you believe that your team will win, and this can give you a sense of control over the outcome of the game.
Another theory suggests that people gamble because it provides them with an opportunity to make money. This is certainly true for some people, but it is important to remember that not everyone who gambles does so for this reason. Some people enjoy the challenge of trying to beat the odds, and others simply enjoy the thrill of taking a risk.
Whatever the reason may be, it is important to remember that gambling should only be done if you can afford to lose the money you are wagering. If you are not in financial trouble, then gambling can be an enjoyable way to spend your time, but if you are struggling to make ends meet then it is probably best to avoid it altogether.
Handicapping
Handicapping is the process of predicting the outcome of a contest and then assigning odds to that prediction. The handicapper is said to have an “edge” if his or her predictions are more accurate than those of others in the market. The concept of handicapping is widely used in horse racing, but it can be applied to any contest in which there are multiple competitors and a betting market.
Sports betting odds
Whether you’re a seasoned sports bettor or are looking to place your first bet, understanding sports betting odds is an important part of the process. Sports betting odds indicate how likely an event is to occur, and they allow you to place a wager on the probability of that event.
There are three main types of sports betting odds – point spread, moneyline, and totals (over/under). Point spread and moneyline odds are the most common, and you’ll find them for nearly every sport. Totals (over/under) odds are most commonly found for baseball and football.
Point spread odds are used for betting on the outcome of a game when there is a clear favorite and underdog. The favorite is given a “spread,” or handicap, while the underdog is given a head start. Your job as a bettor is to pick which team will cover the spread. For example, if the New England Patriots are favored by 7 points against the New York Jets, that means the Patriots must win by more than 7 points for you to win your bet. If they win by exactly 7 points, it’s a push (a tie) and your bet will be refunded.
Moneyline odds are used for betting on who will outright win a game or event, regardless of the margin of victory. Moneyline odds can be presented as either positive or negative numbers. Positive moneyline odds (e.g. +150) indicate how much money you would win if you bet $100. Negative moneyline odds (e.g. -200) indicate how much money you would need to bet to win $100
Live betting
Sports betting is subject to vast amounts of data and statistics. Bettors who can read this data correctly have a huge advantage in making successful wagers. The types of bets that can be placed on sporting events are vast and varied, but they all come down to two basic concepts: fixed odds and live betting.
Fixed odds betting is when the bettor places a wager on a team or outcome that has pre-determined odds. The bettor knows how much they stand to win or lose before the event takes place. Live betting, also known as in-play betting, is when the bettor places a wager during the event. The odds are constantly changing as the event progresses, so the bettor must be quick on their feet in order to make a successful wager.
In order to read sports bets, one must first understand how bookmakers set their lines. Bookmakers will always try to set their lines in such a way that they will profit no matter what the outcome of the event is. This means that they will often times favor one team over another, even if that team is not necessarily the better team. In order to make successful wagers, bettors must be able to see past these biases and find value in the lines that bookmakers set.
Bookmakers will also often times use different terms when setting their lines. For example, a bookmaker may say that a certain team is -3 point favorites. This means that if you were to bet on this team, you would need them to win by more than 3 points in order for you to win your bet. If you were to bet on the other team, you would need them to either lose by less than 3 points or win outright in order for you to win your bet. Another common term that bookmakers use is “moneyline”. This refers to bets where there is no spread involved and you simply pick who you think will win outright. The odds for moneyline bets are usually much higher than for spread bets because there is more risk involved.
Once you understand how bookmakers set their lines, you can start looking for value in the bets that they offer. Value exists when the odds offered by the bookmaker are better than they should be based on what we know about the teams involved in the match-up. For example, if two teams are evenly matched but one team is being given +5 point spreads by bookmakers, there is value in betting on that team because they should theoretically win more often than they lose by 5 points or more. Finding value isthe key to successful sports betting and it takes practice and experience to get good at it.
Sports betting tips
If you’re new to sports betting, one of the first things you need to do is learn how to read sports betting odds. This can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually not that difficult. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
The first thing you need to know is that there are three different types of odds: decimal, fractional, and moneyline. Decimal odds are the most common, and they are simply expressed as a decimal number. For example, if the decimal odds are 2.5, this means that for every $1 you bet, you will win $2.50. Fractional odds are expressed as a fraction, such as 1/2 or 2/1. Moneyline odds are simply expressed as a number without any fraction or decimal, such as +100 or -200.
Once you know the different types of odds, you need to know how to read them. When looking at decimal odds, the number on the left is the amount of money you will win for every dollar you bet; the number on the right is the amount of money you need to bet in order to win $1. So if the decimal odds are 2.5, this means that for every $2 you bet, you will win $5 – pretty straightforward!
Fractional odds can be a little trickier to understand at first glance. However, they actually follow a similar format; the numerator (top number) is the amount of money you will win for every dollar you bet, while the denominator (bottom number) is the amount of money you need to bet in order to win $1. So if the fractional odds are 1/2, this means that for every $2 you bet, you will win $1 – again, pretty straightforward!
Moneyline odds can be positive or negative numbers; positive numbers indicate how much money you will win for every dollar you bet while negative numbers indicate how much money you need to bet in order to win $1. So if the moneyline odds are +100, this means that for every $1 you bet;you will win an additional $1 – once again pretty straightforward! However, if the moneyline odds are -200;this means that for every $2you bet;you will only win back your original stake of $1 – so be careful with these type of bets!
Now that you know how to read sports betting odds;you’re ready to start placing bets!