If you want to lay an occasional bet on sports online, before starting its likely that you spent hours reading online sportsbooks reviews, trying to get as much information regarding the top sportsbook to choose and get the ball rolling, except there is one small detail that must be accounted for. One basic, very important detail. Do you really know how to bet on online sports? Do you understand the mechanics? If the answer is no or “kinda”, don’t worry, this article is dedicated to give you a general overview on how to go about placing your wagers. Do not worry, we won’t be too technical, think of this as a basic beginner’s guide to get you started, as we will point you on the right directions so you know where to go.
Much like all sports are different so are the ways that you bet on them. While they share a lot of similarities, the devil is in the details. Which is important that you get familiar with them before even thinking about placing a wager.
Basic Concepts to Bet like a Pro
There are some basic concepts that you must grasp before you bet on sports online. There are three basic types of bets. First, the money line. This is what is known as a straight bet in which you bet on the team to win a specific sporting event. Popular on all the major team sports, is the simplest bet you can place.
Secondly, we have the point spread; this type of wager is perhaps the most popular type of bet in the US. The basic idea behind a point spread is in order to make the game closer to a 50/50 proposition a handicap is added. For example, let’s say that in the NFL playoffs had Detroit Lions +10.5 / New Orleans Saints -10.5. How this works is if you wager on Lions at the end of the game you add 10.5 points to the Lions score and then compare it to Saints actual score to determine who wins. The team with the minus points on the line is considered the favorite.
Finally, the Over/Under bet is a type of wager where you add the total score of the game and bet on a probable over or under. Let’s say that you are betting on a College Football game and the line is 40.5 and you decide to bet the over, that means that in order for you to win you will need for both teams to score more than 40 points in order for you to win. If you bet on the under, that means that in order for you to win the final score of the game from both teams must not add more than 40.5 points for you to win.
When learning to bet on sports online, the first wagers you place should be conservative and small. It is a common rookie mistake to think that you will have some sort of beginner’s luck. Yes, luck is a major factor when gambling, but it doesn’t mean you need to be reckless.
Another that you must grasp is that every single top sportsbook have their own type of wagers and odds. To learn how to bet on sports, the first step is to check out the site you have selected, read reading online sportsbooks about the site if possible and be sure to check out their resource page. Normally pretty much every one of these sites will include a section where they run down the different types of wagers they place, with easy to understand examples. Use those resources and take advantage of their customer service staff as they can too explain how to place a wager over the phone or online (depending of the online betting site you selected).
