Understand All the Bets
It is important to understand what all of the bets are and how they work. Sometimes punters do not look up what the different kinds of bets are for and therefore they only stick to the straightforward bets such as betting on which player or team will win the game.
Whilst bettors may have lots of success with the simplest bets, they may have even more success if they explore the full range of betting options available and they may even find that they can win more if they try their hand at other bets too.
The different types of bets come with their own risks and odds, though some fans may be able to find a bet that they think has a better chance of winning. Punters who know all of the different types of bets available will be able to build betting strategies that go some way to reducing risk.
Different Sports Have Different Bets
There are punters who try out sports betting on more than one sport and whilst this opens up more opportunities, it is best done when the bettor knows exactly what types of bets are available.
There are main bets that can be found across most of the player or team sports in some form, but there are also a lot of special bets that are exclusive to a certain sport. These bets are mostly known as “props”, but they may also fall into the “specials” category. Where they are available, these bets can offer extremely long odds and can be extremely appealing.
In football, for example, there may be specials such as, “first team to score”, “4 goal sequence and correct result” or “reverse the result” amongst many more.
To briefly explain them, the “first team to score” is a two way bet on which team will score the first goal. If the match ends goalless or the wrong team is chosen then the bet loses, but if the team that is bet on breaks the scoring at any point in the game, the bet pays. The “4 goal sequence and correct result” is a bet on the match to end with 4 goals scored between the two teams. The bet also needs the punter to predict the correct score, and in what order the goals will be scored. The “reverse the result” is a two way bet on whether the home team will go behind in the game and then make a comeback, or whether they will not. The same bet can be found on the away team.
These are examples of how certain sports have their own specials or game props. They are not difficult to understand, but they are considered to be advanced bets. Each sport will have its own kind of specials, though some sports will have more specials than others depending on how popular the sport is, how big the event is and how many different outcomes or factors can be bet on in that specific sport.
Main Bets
To get a firm grip on the basics, there are a few bets that are available in some form across many sports. In sports where scoring goals, runs or points is important, these are the moneylines, spreads and totals.
Moneylines are usually two way bets where money can be placed on either of the contending teams or players to win the game. In some sports where the game can end in a draw, or where the contenders can draw after regular time, these may be presented as three way bets. In these cases the bets can be placed on either of the contenders to win the game or on the game to end in a draw (or remain a draw at the end of regular time, if it applies to the sport).
In games where scoring is involved, there will usually be spread bets. These are similar to the moneyline, in which the punter can place a bet on either of the contenders to win the game, but they will also be able to set a handicap. The handicap is either an added number of goals/points or a reduced number of goals/points, and these drastically change the odds. A negative spread of -2.5 in a football game will mean that a team needs to win the game by at least 3 goals for the bet to win. If the score is 4-2 to the team that is bet on, the bet will lose as the spread will subtract 2.5 from the score, leaving it 1.5-2.
Totals are bets that relate to how many goals, points or runs will be scored in a game. These are usually presented with a value (known as a betting line) and a punters need to bet on whether the total goals/points/runs will be higher or lower than the betting line. In a high scoring game like basketball, there may be a bet such as “game totals over/under 210.5 points”. Placing a bet on the game to end with more will mean the combined score of both teams should be 211 points or higher for the bet to win. Placing a bet on the game to end with under will mean the game should finish with a combined score of 210 or less.
Researching Bets
Finding out what different types of bets are available does not take much time, and once they are explained they are not that difficult to understand.
Once all of the bets are clear, punters can give themselves an even better chance of winning by researching the statistics. If betting on a sport where scoring is key, then statistics such as the contender’s score in the previous 5 outings and the scores in the head to head games between both contenders are a good place to start.
Punters who want to do more research will find that regardless of sport, there is a huge amount of information available. In team sports that are played in leagues, such as basketball or football, there are factors such as home advantage, player injuries, the scheduled games before and after the game, the amount of travel the away team has, and much more that can all have an effect on the game.
Keeping Track
One tip that can help punters out is keeping track of which bets they are the most successful with. Whilst it sounds laborious to keep track of each bet, users of Zetbet will not need to worry about creating their own notes or excel sheets. Zetbet conveniently has a history option which shows members their previous bets and they may use it as reference when trying to find out where they have had the most luck.
Trying out different bets, or placing props or specials may feel a bit more risky as they are difficult to predict, but if they come through they can pay out massive winnings. While it is always important to budget carefully and gamble responsibly, experimenting with bet types and trying new strategies can be a huge amount of fun.