We get a lot of questions from sports betting newbees. Here’s a brief overview of the basic types of sports bets. Once you have a basic understanding of common elements of sports betting, you’ll be ready to join a TrueBet group and play on a level playing field!
- Point Spread Betting:
- A common way to bet on team-based sports.
- The sportsbook sets a margin of victory (spread) that the favorite must win by.
- Example: If Team A has a -6.5 point spread, they must win by 7 or more points for the bet to succeed.
- Money Line Betting:
- Simplest form of betting. You pick the team you think will win.
- Odds are presented as positive or negative values.
- Example: Team A has a -150 money line, meaning you need to bet $150 to win $100 if they win.
- Totals (Over/Under) Betting:
- Betting on the total combined score of both teams.
- Sportsbook sets a line, and you bet whether the actual total score will be over or under that line.
- Example: If the total is set at 200.5 points, you bet on whether the final score will be above or below that number.
- Proposition (Prop) Bets:
- Bets on specific events within a game, not necessarily related to the final outcome.
- Examples: Player performance (e.g., total yards, goals), specific occurrences (e.g., first team to score), or even events unrelated to the game (e.g., coin toss result).
- Parlay Betting:
- Combining multiple bets into a single wager for higher potential payouts.
- All individual bets must win for the parlay to be successful.
- Teaser Betting:
- Similar to a parlay but allows you to adjust the point spread or totals in your favor.
- Offers lower potential payouts compared to parlays.
It’s crucial to understand the odds and potential risks before placing bets. You should start with small amounts and gradually increase as you gain confidence and understand the betting landscape.