To play and win while betting you need to know all the details of betting. What kinds and types of bets there are, on what outcome, when it is better to make a bet, what kind of sport is the most predictable, etc. It is recommended that you study the theoretical foundations in advance in order to win consistently.
The most common types of sportsbook bets
Betting on the outcome
Bets on the outcome are the most common type. Sportsbooks offer six options:
- P1 – the victory of the first team or athlete (most often the home team);
- P2 – victory of the second team or athlete (most often the visitors);
- X is a bet on a draw;
- 1X – bet on the victory of the home team or a draw;
- 2X – a bet on the victory of the visitors or a draw;
- 12 is a bet that there won’t be a draw.
A bet on the outcome is a classic type of bet. There are also reverse bets on the outcome of a draw – where it is predicted that neither team will win or lose. The same bet, with slightly lower odds, but just a different variant.
Total betting
Bets on totals are bets on the number of certain events. Most often these are scored goals, the number of touchdowns in football, the number of sets in tennis, etc. It is formed in the following way for example: a soccer game is selected, there is a bet of either TO 2 or TU 2 for goals. It means that either more or less than 2 goals will be scored in total by both teams. If there are exactly 2 goals, the stake will be returned.
Individual totals – bets not on the total number of specific actions in the match, but from one team or player. For example: ITO1 (2) – this means that the first team will score more than 2 goals. If the first team scores 3, the bet is won, if 1 is scored the bet is lost. If the total for that team is 2, the stake will be returned.
Handicap Betting
Handicap bets, or spread bets, are quite an interesting type of betting. It resembles betting on the outcome, only taking into account that a person either insures himself, or increases the risks due to points added or subtracted from the team, on which he bets.
The easiest way to explain such a bet is by example. The Chelsea-Liverpool match. P2 (+2) – this means that the player bets on the victory of Liverpool with an addition of two goals. If the match ends 2-1 in Chelsea’s favor, the bet will still be won because the Liverpool goals are followed by a +2 handicap, meaning in this bet the final score would be 2-3, for Liverpool.
If a handicap bet ends in a draw, e.g. in the case of Chelsea and Liverpool they played 2-0 in favor of Chelsea, the bet does not lose but is simply returned to the player’s account.
Asian Totals and Handicaps
Typical totals and handicaps are exact. At the end of the game, when the total or the handicap are exact draws, the bet is simply returned. The Asian system however connects decimal fractions and disables the possibility of a return.
For example: TO 2.5. It means that 3 or more goals will be scored in the match. If 2 or less – everything is a loss. The difference between the Asian form and total is that the odds for them are much higher, but the risks are corresponding.
Other types of Bets
There are other, more specific types of bets that are not open to all sports and championships:
- Betting on advancing into the next round. Used in playoff competitions of any sport. The better makes a prediction on who will pass on into the next stage;
- Exact Score. A very risky bet for all sports. Allows you to bet on a specific game score. Big odds and high risks;
- Tournament Futures. Not a bet on a certain game, but on the winner of the entire cup or tournament. Matching up with major events. You can make a prediction even before the competition.
Types of bets must be selected for a particular sport and strategy. For example, bets on the pole position, martingale and other classic ways to secure your bank, however the best go with the outcome. In general, it is better work with specific outcomes.