Sports Betting 101
There are many ways to bet on sports, including moneylines, point spreads, and parlays. Prop bets are also a great way to wager on specific outcomes or players. There are options to fit every taste and budget, making sports betting an exciting and rewarding hobby. To learn more about sports betting, read our article about Point spreads, Football teasers, and Parlay cards.
Straight bets
Straight bets are the most basic type of sports bet. They involve choosing one team to win a specific game and covering the spread or total. Straight bets are the most common type of wagers made in sports betting, and the easiest to place. The payout depends on the odds provided by the sportsbook.
Straight bets can be made on any number of different events. In baseball, for example, the Yankees are a -120 favorite against the Red Sox. In the same game, the Red Sox would be a +110 underdog. A straight bet would win the bet if the Yankees win, and vice versa.
Point spreads
Point spreads in sports betting are odds that are set by the sportsbooks based on the difference in the probabilities of the two teams winning. They are used to make the betting process more interesting for the punters and to give them valuable information about the matchups. They are commonly used in basketball and football games, but are also used in some other sports.
New data is emerging about the point spreads in different sports and their effects on betting volume. For example, in the NFL, point spread betting falls outside of a certain profit range in nearly all games. This suggests that sports books are not entirely unbiased when setting point spreads. In addition, most previous research has assumed that the point spreads are unbiased minimum variance estimators of the actual game outcomes.
Football teasers
A teaser bet is a type of parlay bet in which you combine two or more football games into a single bet. This type of wager is more risky, but it can also produce a very large return. Typically, you would bet on a team to win the game, with the team with the lowest point spread being the teaser.
The payout for football teasers generally depends on the number of teams involved, but some sportsbooks will allow you to bet on as many as 10 teams. The more teams you select, the higher the payout for your bet. For example, a three-team teaser pays nine-to-five, while a six-team teaser pays six-to-one. Basketball teasers work the same way, but they can only be used if the point spread is 4.5 or less. If the underdog is 5 points, the odds must be -130 or greater.
Prop bets
Proposition bets are an excellent way to bet on your favorite team or player. While they don’t carry the star power of their more popular counterparts, they can be a fun way to win money. Many sportsbooks offer these types of wagers for both professional and casual fans.
Prop bets can cover anything from the color of the Gatorade to multiple outcomes of a single game. Props may be difficult to handicap, so do your research before placing a bet. However, they are fun and can give you a great thrill when you make the right call.