It’s always on the mind of some people. Some people just cannot get enough to it, thinking about it day and night. And they get excited and pumped up by the mere mention of it. Don’t trouble yourself trying to guess. I’m talking about sports. And nothing’s more enjoyable to these sports enthusiasts than betting on their favourite teams or sports events. In this post, I’ll be talking about sports betting.
I see sports as a feeling. And one of the ways I heighten the thrill, excitement and fun of sports is to wager on my team. The odds of sports betting aren’t the best but then it’s more about the entertainment for me. A lot of casinos allow you to bet on your favourite teams and buy yourself hours of entertainment.
Sports betting, as fun as it may be, isn’t just about the entertainment for some people. And I’ll be focusing on the major sports you can bet on as well as the circumstances in which it is legal to bet on them. So let’s dive straight into it.
What’s Sports Betting?
You should know that the sports betting this post focuses on is the legal kind. And it’s just about predicting the outcome of sports events and wagering on it. You can bet on a lot of sports from soccer to football to boxing, basketball and so on. In fact, you can even bet on college tournaments.
You can bet on sports in a sportsbook which can be found in a casino or as a stand-alone establishment. Sports betting was previously illegal in most parts of the United States. Now, it’s been legalized in several states across the country. If your laws in your area or country don’t allow you to bet on sports, you can find a way around that by betting online.
What Sports Can You Bet On?
You can bet on almost any sporting event in the US. However, it’s more common to see people bet on professional and college ball games. Below are sports and sporting events you can bet on.
- Football
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Hockey
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Baseball
- NASCAR
- Cricket
- Rugby
- Car Racing
- Motorcycle Racing
Casinos And Sports Betting
Sports betting and casino games are both forms of gambling. However, there are distinct differences between them. Casino games are fun and all but they have a house edge. The casino has an advantage here and you have to be lucky to go home with profits. You can read my articles on some casino games like slots, slots odds, keno and bingo.
Sports betting gives you a realistic shot at making a profit. While there’s no house advantage here, you still have to beat the vigorish or vig. And that simply refers to the commission sportsbooks take from the losing side of a wager. The commission is around 10%. While this is a lot, it’s still much better than the house edge.
Getting Familiarized With Lines
Line or money line is the term used for odds in sports betting. And it’s essentially a ratio of what you bet to what you get paid. It’s important to keep the amount of $100 in mind because it’s not usually mentioned when with the odds. I’ll be giving an example below to help you understand the money lines better. I’m a sucker for European soccer, so I’ll be using European teams.
-300 Real Madrid
+240 Valladolid
Real Madrid is the stronger team and thus favored to win. And what -300 means is that you’ll have to bet $300 to win $100. You don’t necessarily have to bet $100. You can bet any other amount and your winnings will be in the same proportion. Betting $3 will win you $1, so you get the math.
For the weaker team (Valladolid), the +240 means you’ll have to bet $100 to win $240. Again, you can bet any amount.
Most people think money line/odds is an actual reflection of the strength of the two teams. Well, it’s not. The odds actually reflect how the casino thinks the public will bet.
Sports Betting And Point Spread
You can bet on sport using point spread instead of money lines. And the score/result of a sporting event is taken into consideration here. The point spread is actually the value you subtract or add to your team’s score. And I’ll be giving an example below to help you understand point spread better.
Steelers
Broncos -4
Broncos are the stronger team and have a point spread of -4. And this means you will subtract four points from the score of Broncos. If Broncos still outscored Steelers after the subtraction, you are the winner.
The opposite applies to Steelers which can be said to have a point spread of +4, although it’s not written above. People that bet on Steelers will add four points to Steelers’ score after the game. So, if the difference in the scores is less than four after the addition, you are the winner.
The Exotic Bets
If you want to take sports betting to another level, you can try exotic bets. The risks are higher as well as your rewards. The odds of exotic bets change depending on how heavy the betting is. Types of exotic bets available in casinos include Parlays, Teasers, Proposition, and Futures.
Final Thoughts
That’s all for now. There will be a second part of this article that deals with betting differences among various sports as well as handicapping basics. So keep an eye out for the update. Till then, stay safe, stay well.