Sports Betting 101

Betting is a form of gambling wherein a person places wagers on the outcome of a certain event. The main types of betting are point spreads, parlays and futures bets.

A Parlay is a series of bets that pays out more if all bets in the parlay win. This allows a bettor to reinvest their profits and increase turnover and potential returns.

In the game of football, a point spread is a margin of points in which the favored team must win the game to “cover” the spread. For example, the Ravens are favored by 1 point over the Steelers.

Point spreads are often set high, which is why they are popular among sports bettors. However, bettors should always be aware of a key term called a “push.”

A push occurs when the favorite wins by a margin that is identical to the point spread. In this scenario, bets on both teams will be returned.

The oddsmakers will usually push the line higher in favor of the underdog, so this is an excellent time to fade them. This is especially true for point totals and teams that put up big numbers at home.