The basics of betting are easy to understand, and will give you an advantage over other bettors. Here we’ll review some terms that every person should know when it comes time for their first wager!
Favorites vs. Underdogs
When oddsmakers release a betting line on a game, the first thing they do is decide which team should be the favorite and which should be the underdog. This determination is based on what has happened in recent games, home-field advantage, injury reports, and other factors.
The favorite gets added points because it is predicted to win more often than not, but the underdog has the chance to cover the spread by winning or losing by less points than expected.
The type of bettor you are has a lot to do with how your view the favorite and the underdog. For someone who is risk-averse, picking the favorite may make more sense. However, for someone who likes to take risks, betting on the underdog might be the better option. Regardless of which way you go, there are advantages and disadvantages that come with each side.
The Money Ball is a movie that everyone must remember. In the film, Billy Beane drafted cheap players with potential to stay on base and make runs – but it’s their ability as defectives which helps them win games! remember that.
Moneylines
The moneyline is a sports betting format that calculates which team will win, and offers a payout based on the odds of winning. In order to calculate the moneyline, you must do two things: 1) choose a favorite team, 2) choose an underdog team. For the favorite team, the odds are found by dividing 100 by the amount of money that you must put down for a bet.
Moneylines are a betting option offered on most sports. They are a great way to bet on sports that have low-scoring games, such as baseball, hockey, and soccer. For example, you can choose whether to place a moneyline bet on the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers.
Point Spreads
The point spread, which is a bet on the margin of victory in sports games, is often seen as gambling’s most misunderstood concept. Oddsmakers or bookmakers will often list two teams with different numbers next to them (ex. Patriots -7 vs Jets +7). This number reflects what the point spread would be if it were evenly matched, but in this case, the Patriots are favored by 7 points.
Spread betting can be intimidating to the novice bettor. It may seem like a lot of calculations, but it is really quite simple if you know what to look for. Spreads are available for all sports, but they are predominantly used when betting on higher-scoring sports like football and basketball.
Over/Unders (Totals)
Sports fans love the challenge of predicting the outcome of games, but why not make it a little more exciting? That’s where oddsmakers come in. Oddsmakers set lines for the favorite and the underdog, as well as a combined total number of points scored by both teams combined. This is called the “total” or “over/under”.
Bettors can wager on whether or not a game will go Over or Under the total. For example, an NBA game between the LA Lakers and Chicago Bulls might have a total of 200. You could either bet the Over 215 points or to bet that the combined points will be Under 200. These types of bets can be made on any sport and offer a way to balance out other bets and create more action in the sportsbook.
As a bettor, you should inform yourself and study the betting basics very well. Check the websites regularly for the latest betting information, you can also contact the VIPSPORTSBOOK team and we will be happy to bet with you.
When placing a bet, you should analyze the quality of each option and make an educated decision to increase your odds of winning.
Remember that it is important not to be overconfident and risk more than you can afford, because if your selection does not work out, you will end up losing much more than you had originally planned to bet.
Because of this, learning the betting basics is a strategy you should also apply.