Types of Sports Bets Explained

Types of Sports Bets Explained

If you are new to the world of sports betting, you might find yourself intimidated by the special lingo being used by the bookmakers and other bettors. It’s much easier to understand if you can get past the fact its not quire as complicated as it might sound. In an effort to prepare you to claim one of the welcome offers described at bettingoffers.org and make your first bets, here’s a guide you can use to better understand the types of bets that are available with an online bookmaker.

Straight Bet – This is a wager on a single team/person from a single event.

Multi or Accumulator Bet (Parlay) – This is a single wager that includes multiple teams/people from multiple events. In this particular case, each of the teams or people listed on the betting slip have to win or the slip with be deemed a loser. The primary advantage of this type of bet is having the opportunity to cover more events with less money for a larger possible return.  The potential payoff is calculated based on the individual odds from each team or person rolled together.

Proposition Bet – In order to create more betting interest on a particular game or event, bookmakers will list a series of special bets that focus on player or team statistical performances. Example: During the NFL’s Super Bowl, bookmakers might post a line related to which quarterback passes for the most yards or which team kicks the longest field goal.

Futures Bet – This type of wager focuses on potential outcomes to be determined in the future. Typically, futures odds will be posted related to teams winning a particular championship or ending up with a certain amount of wins on the season. Occasionally, future odds might be posted related to individual achievement. For instance, a list of players with odds might be posted regarding which of those players scores the most goals during the Premiere League season.

Round Robin – This wager is an offshoot of a multi or parley. The betting slip allows the bettor to bet a designated number of multis or parlays on the same betting slip. Example: The bettor wagers a two-team multi with four teams on the same ticket. Each of the teams is combined with each of the other teams to form a series of multis.  In this case, the ticket would have a total of 6 multi combinations and the cost of the ticket would be 6 x the amount of the wager.

All sports bets are made at predetermined odds posted by the bookmaker. The odds are stated based on $100 increments with the minus sign indicated the amount the bettor needs to bet to win $100 and the plus sign indicating how much the bettor will win if they bet $100. Example: Odds of -120 would require that the bettor wager $120 to win $100. Odds of +120 would dictate that the bettor would win $120 for a wager of $100. In some sports (NFL football, Aussie Rule Football, basketball), point spreads are used to create an even wager between the participants.