Sports Betting 101 – Understanding the Different Types of Bets in Sports Betting

When it comes to sports betting, the more you know about a game and the teams and players involved, the better your chances of making informed wagers. This includes studying past performance, current form and recent statistics. Additionally, understanding the different types of bets you can place will increase your chances of winning.

Straight bets are the most common type of wager and involve placing a bet on a single outcome. For example, if you think the Toronto Raptors will beat the Boston Celtics in an NBA game, you would make a straight bet on them.

Point spreads, also known as handicaps, are used to make uneven games more even by adding or subtracting points from a team’s expected margin of victory. This makes the favored team win by a certain amount to “cover the spread” while allowing underdogs to win outright or lose by a certain amount and still win the bet.

Over/Under bets, also called totals, are based on the combined number of points, goals or runs scored in a game including overtime. These bets pay out if the combined score is higher or lower than a predetermined number set by the oddsmaker.

If the combined score is exactly equal to the predetermined number, bettors will receive a push (no money won or lost). In some cases, lines can move if one team has an injury that impacts their performance. They can also move if the majority of bettors are on one team, forcing the bookmaker to adjust the line to attract more action.