Essential Factors When Choosing
The Best Online Sportsbook
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If you're serious about betting, you don’t just look at a few stats, you “dig deep.” You go into all of the stats that matter, all of the factors that could potentially determine a game. Then, using your intuition, you make a bet on the game that’s right for you. The same should go for choosing an online sportsbook.
These are some of the factors that we have found are most important when choosing one site over another. That doesn’t mean that, for a site to be right for you, a site has to have all of these factors. Indeed, you can (and many of us on staff do) prioritize that which is most important.
But, you are going to want a site that includes all of this in some way. That way, you can find a site that has what you prioritize, yes, but also has plenty of other options, too.
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If you just stay with one site and never go line shopping, then you’ll always be stuck with their line. So, even if you bet and win, you may not be able to win as much as you would have been able to had you looked at another site that had the best odds for you.
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Line Movement
Lines change. Odds move. They aren’t static. As the event approaches, the odds can change. This is why it’s important to do your research, yes. But, this is also why you want to act as quickly as possible as soon as you find odds that work for you.
We started this section with a cliche, and we’ll close it with another one: “a good plan today beats a perfect plan tomorrow.” Yes, it’s entirely possible that the “perfect line,” “flawless odds” will appear tomorrow.
But, if you find a sportsbook that has odds that seem like they’re very close to your vision for the game, it can pay to jump on them as quickly as possible.
Why? Because the line may change as the game gets closer, specifically in a way that's detrimental to you.
A hypothetical: the “Red River Rivalry" is approaching, with the Oklahoma Sooners heading to Stillwater, OK to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys. You like Boomer Sooner to win the game. The odds are Oklahoma +400. You think to yourself: “well, that seems pretty good. But, I don’t want to bet it just yet.”
Then, as the game approaches, Oklahoma’s injured running back returns to the practice field. As a result, the odds move to +200. Yes, you can still win when the Sooners do. But, you’ll win a lot less.
So much of betting is exactly this: doing all the research you can and then, striking when the time is right.
Know Your Betting Markets and Know Your Options
Every single player that steps onto the field, the court, the rink, or any other playing surface knows the fundamentals. They know the basics, the rules. Yes, they know a lot more than that, too. But, they have all of the starting information that they need to be able to play. Unfortunately, sports bettors don’t always think like that.
Before you make a bet, you should know all there is to know about betting markets, prop bets, the money line betting, point spread betting, parlay betting, teaser bets, futures betting, and the like. Preferably, you should know them like a basketball player knows how to dribble: unconsciously but correctly.
The more you know about betting markets and how they work, the better positioned you’ll be to not just bet and win but to bet and win over time.
Money Line Betting
Maybe the most common type of bet there is, the money line (also referred to sometimes as “the odds”), is a basic, simple bet. For centuries, people have been betting the money line. You’ve seen the money line any time you’ve seen a bet that had one team with a + by their name and another with a – by their name.
The Favorite
With the money line, the team with the – is the favorite. At first, this can seem counterintuitive. So many see a minus sign and naturally think that this team is “lesser.” However, that’s not the case here: the team with the – is the one that is the favorite. In this context, that means the handicappers believe this is the team that is likelier to win the game than the other team.
How this works: you have to bet the number next to the – to win just $100 when that team wins. If, for example, the Florida State Seminoles are playing the Florida Gators and the Seminoles are at -250, then you have to bet $250 on the Seminoles to win the game just for you to win $100.
You might think: “That seems like a lot to only win $100.” That’s the point. You’re betting on the team that is considered more likely to win the game. So, to the handicappers, you are making the “safer” bet, the “likelier” option. As such, the payout can be less. But, of course, a small payout is better than none.
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The Underdog
The opposite of the favorite, in the money line, the underdog is the team with the + next to their name. The “underdog” is the team that the handicappers feel is less likely to win the game. Since the possibility of them winning is more remote, if you’re brave enough to bet on this team, you can win more money for doing so.
Let’s return to the example above. Say that, in the Florida/Florida State game, the Florida Gators are +250. You see the + next to their number, so you know that they’re the underdog. This means that if you bet $100 on the Florida Gators and they win the game, then you will win $250. As you can see, that’s a lot more money. But, this bet can be considered “risky” since they’re the underdog.
Indeed, you’ve probably seen a money line at +1000 and other, similarly big numbers. Those are the big underdogs. Sure, you can win a lot of money if they come through, but they rarely do.
Choosing the
Best Online Sportsbook
up to $100
- Refer All Your Friends
- Rewards for both of you
- Superman promotion
If you’ve read to this point, then you’ve read everything that went into our decision-making. You’ve gone through, in great detail, all the key factors that we debated for picking the best online sportsbook. However, it’s important to remember that, while we can tell you what we think is the best online sportsbook (or books), there’s really no such thing. Not universally.
The best online sportsbook is the one that’s the best for you. Your needs aren’t going to be the same as ours. Even if you do find the best, you’re going to want to at least consider (if not have) multiple accounts. Line shopping matters, yes, and the more you can stay ahead of industry trends, engaging in continuous learning, the better off you’ll be.
As for beginner recommendations, safe starting points always start with research. The best beginner-friendly sportsbooks are the ones you can trust. Yes, you want to find one with a great welcome bonus, but you also want one with great security, too.
Responsible gambling always begins and ends with: “never bet more than you can lose.” Yes, there are plenty of advanced strategies, but that’s always the most important.
With what we’ve written here, you can take your first step towards your next win. Good luck out there!
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