Understanding Some of the Basic Forms of Sportsbook Betting

Sports betting has taken the world by storm. It is now legal in many states of the US and the rest of the world, including Asia. This means sportsbook betting Singapore is totally legal. However, you still need to be careful when choosing the betting website. Not all betting websites can be trusted. If you are new to sports betting, there are some forms that you need to understand before you start.

Favorites vs. Underdogs

There are oddsmakers or bookmakers that are responsible for releasing a betting line on a game. They are the ones who will decide which team should be the underdog and which should be the favorite. It is expected that the underdog will lose, while the favorite will win. The underdog has a plus sign next to its odds, while the favorite gets the minus sign. If there’s a toss-up, the books will open it as pick’em or pick. Toss-up, in sports betting, is a situation wherein it is impossible to set a clear-cut favorite. The bookmaker will give each team the same odds.

Spreads

When using spreads, you can choose from two ways to bet on. One is called point spread and the other is the flip side. A point spread is a bet on a victory margin. The underdog gets points and the favorite gives points. For example, the Titans are 7-point favorites (-7 next to their odds) against the Jaguars. When you place your bet on the Titans, they need to win by at least 8 points so you can win the bet. If the Titans win by 7 points, you will only get the exact amount of money that you bet. You did not lose and you also did not win. You lose the bet if the Titans win by 6 points or lower. The flip side is when you bet on Jaguars (+7 next to their odds), and you need them to lose by 6 points or lower to win your bet. All types of sports have spreads, but they are primarily used when the betting involves basketball, football, and other high-scoring sports.

Moneyline

This is another way to bet on underdogs or favorites. In this game, the favorites have the minus designation. If you bet on the favorites with -200 designation, it means you will win $100 when the favorites win, and lose $200 when the favorites lose. It is expected that the favorites will win, and you assume more risk when you bet on the favorites. The underdogs have the plus designation. If you bet on the underdogs with +200 designation, it means you will win $200 when the underdogs win and lose $100 when the underdogs lose. It is expected that the underdogs will lose, and you assume less risk when you bet on them. All types of sports have moneylines, but they are primarily used when the betting involves soccer, hockey, baseball, and other low-scoring sports.

Total or Over/Under

This form of betting follows a simple rule. The bookmaker or oddsmaker will set the total points of both teams. The bettors will place a bet over or under the total points that both teams may accumulate. For example, the game between the Lakers and Celtics might have a total of 221 points. You can place a bet over 221 or under 221. If the total score is 223 and you bet over 221, you win. If you bet under 221 and the total score is 223, you lose. Be wise when placing your bet, and always take the one with less risk.