Types Of Bets

One of the best things you can do for yourself before beginning your sports betting adventure is to familiarize yourself with the different kinds of bets available. These types of bets may vary from site to site, but the basic choices remain the same. By understanding these types of bets, you are ensuring that you get the best out of your gaming session.

Here is rundown on the more common bets you’ll find at your favorite online sportsbook site:

Straight Bets

These types of bets are usually recommended for beginners because they are the simplest to understand. This type of bet is usually placed on a match involving two teams (eg. Soccer, basketball), where all you need to do is predict which team will win. A straight bet calls for you to bet on one team and one outcome.

Total Bets

You’ll notice that a sportsbook site will post the total points that it predicts will be scored in a game. By betting on a total bet, you are essentially predicting that the total points will be more or less than what is stated on the site. If we are dealing with a sport that does not have goals, for example, you bet on the number of rounds (such as in boxing) and so forth.

Parlay Bets

If you frequent European sports betting sites, you are more likely to have come across this type of bet. A Parlay Bet, in a nutshell, is a number of straight bets (see above) that are all combined into one single bet. The risk of this kind of bet is that it doesn’t matter if you get, say, four out of the five straight bets right – the conditions of a successful Parlay Bet is that you get ALL five straight bets correct, or you loose the bet.

Teaser Bets

A Teaser Bet is essentially a modified Parlay Bet and offers you the opportunity to bet on point spreads or totals at a reduced risk to your bankroll. The sportsbook site will adjust the totals (“tease” them) to give you an improved chance of winning. The catch here, of course, is that the odds are significantly reduced. You will usually find Teaser Bets offered on football and basketball.

Goal Line Bets

These types of bets are available in soccer betting, although they are also known as run line bets in baseball and puck line bets in hockey. These bets are fixed point spreads that offer a high payout for the favorite team and lower payout for the team considered the underdog. Alternate goal line bets will offer decreased payouts for the favorite teams and increased payouts for the underdogs.

Future Wagers

In sports where the outcome will only be determined in the far future (such as several weeks or months), you can make a bet called a future wager. Think long term such as the team to win the Super Bowl, for example. These bets are traditionally made before the start of the season and pay exceptional odds.

As you can see, there are many different types of bets at sports betting sites. The trick is to understand them in order to make the right decisions for YOU.