With more people than ever before wagering money on sports games, it’s important to understand how different kinds of bets work. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to make smarter bets.
The basic premise of sports betting is that you’re predicting something that will happen during a game or event and risking your money on it happening. The oddsmakers set the odds based on the probability of an outcome occurring, allowing you to bet on the side that you think will win. With lower probability outcomes come smaller payouts, while higher probability outcomes pay out more.
There are several different types of bets you can place, with the most common being the straight bet. A straight bet is a single wager on the winner of a particular event or game. You can also make prop bets, which are wagers outside the traditional spread, moneyline and over/under. These are often tied to specific players or events and include player over/unders, which have grown in popularity in recent years.
Another type of bet is the totals bet, which involves placing a wager on the combined score of a game. This is a popular bet type in baseball and basketball, as well as some football and hockey games. The over/under number is calculated by adding up the individual scores of each team and then dividing by two. A negative number indicates the under, while a positive number means the over.
In addition to totals and spreads, you can also place bets on individual players or teams with futures. These are bets that will be paid off long after the season is over, such as a wager on a team to win the championship. The payout for these bets can be very large, but they are a much riskier bet than those on individual games or props.
Lastly, you can also bet on the individual player’s performance in a game with a prop bet called a Player Performance (PPR) bet. These bets are based on statistics like points, rebounds and assists, which can be tracked with the help of advanced statistical analysis programs. These bets are usually much more accurate than other player props, as they are based on actual game data rather than subjective opinions and rankings.
It’s important to remember that there are no sure things when it comes to sports betting, and even the best bettors can have a bad day. For this reason, it’s important to have a solid money management strategy and stick to your bankroll. This can be as simple as not betting more than you can afford to lose and never making a bet that you don’t fully understand.
It’s also helpful to research each sportsbook and look for sites that offer the types of bets you want to make. Reading user reviews can be a great way to learn about each site, but don’t take them as gospel; what one person views as a good site might not be a fit for you.