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Posted on - 14.01.2020

Moneyline bets are by far the most popular type of sports bet that you can make. What’s great about moneyline bets is that they are not only simple enough for beginner sports bettors to understand and utilize properly, but they are also heavily used by professional sports bettors to rake in huge wins every single day in sportsbooks all across the world.

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In fact, there are many wildly-successful professional sports bettors who exclusively use moneyline bets in their winning strategy.In this guide, we’re going to teach you literally everything you’ve ever wanted to know about moneyline bets and then a whole lot more. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned bettor, we’ve got something here for you.

We’ll walk you through the basics of what a moneyline bet is, why you would want to make one, and how to interpret the different numbers, payouts, and presentation formats you’ll see.Additionally, we’ll discuss line movement, how the casino profits (important for you to understand), and moneyline betting strategies that can help you crush the books. These strategies will range from basic to advanced, so even the most seasoned of sports bettors should expect to get some value from this. Feel free to skip to a specific section if you came here for specific information. If you’re newer or it’s been a while since you’ve bet, we highly recommend reading this guide from top to bottom, as the sections will build on knowledge from previous sections. What Is a Moneyline Bet?We’ve already covered that a moneyline bet is easy to make and is the most popular type of sports bet for beginners and for professional bettors. Now let’s talk about exactly what it is.

A moneyline bet is a sports betting wager on which team or person will win a game or sporting contest. Simple as that. When you make a moneyline wager, you are betting on who will win a contest.

It doesn’t matter how they win, by how many points, goals, or runs they win, or how long it takes them to win. All that matters to win a moneyline bet is that the team or person you bet on is victorious.Typically, if you’ve made a bet on sports in the past amongst friends or at the casino, you probably made a moneyline bet, and you didn’t even know it. “I bet you $10 the Broncos are going to win tonight.” That’s a moneyline bet.

You may also hear the bet referred to as a to-win bet in some circles, but just know that they are referring to the same type of bet.Where people seem to get confused with moneyline bets is with how they are presented and how they pay out. While the criteria to win a moneyline bet will never change, the amount you win and how the bet is presented will change. Don’t worry, though. It’s easy to understand if it’s presented to you properly. We are going to cover this thoroughly in the coming sections. You’ll be a moneyline expert ready to crush the books when you get done with this guide. Benefits of Moneyline BetsBefore we go any further, we want to point out some of the reasons moneyline bets are so popular and are utilized so frequently by professionals worldwide.

You should always understand the importance of something before you dedicate your time and effort into learning about it. Let’s take a look at the benefits of moneyline bets in your future winning sports betting strategy. SimplicitySomething that all of our pro bettors on staff preach is that there is no reason to make anything more complicated than it needs to be.

Specifically, they are referring to the awful trend of aspiring sports bettors thinking that you must make more complex bets in order to make a living betting sports. The reason we say it’s an awful trend is because this couldn’t be further from the truth.The secret to winning sports bets is finding value and picking winners.

There is absolutely zero correlation between the complexity of a bet and how likely you are to win. In fact, you could say that there is a negative correlation because a lot of bettors don’t fully understand the complex bets they are making, meaning they are more likely to make mistakes and incorrectly assess value.Moneyline bets take the gold medal when it comes to simplicity. Pick a winner, decide if the payout you’ll receive is worth the risk, make the bet, and that is it. If your team or player wins, you win. People will try and overcomplicate this, but that is all there is to it.

Easier to Find ValuePiggybacking on the simplicity of moneyline bets is the ease with which you can properly assess value. Now, you’ll notice that it doesn’t say “Easy to Find Value,” and that is because it’s never easy to find value in sports betting. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it for a living. What it says, though, is that it is easier to find value with moneyline bets because of the simplicity.You don’t have layers of complexity to fight through to see if your prediction is a positive expected value move (one that is going to make you money). With some simple mathematical calculations, you can figure out whether or not there is value in a bet.

Even if you don’t like math and would prefer not to use it when assessing value and making your picks, it’s still much easier to “eyeball” value with moneyline bets because of the simplicity. Great Introduction for BeginnersGot someone that you’re wanting to get excited about sports betting?

Too often, people try and introduce new bettors to the sports betting world with an overload of information. They’ll shower them with too much knowledge, too many choices, and they’ll eventually chase them away from the games.Moneyline bets are a great way for you to teach your friend, family member, or significant other about sports betting. They’ll have a much easier time grasping what is going on and will most likely be more excited to continue learning and/or supporting you in your endeavor. Understanding Favorites and UnderdogsSportsbooks would go completely broke overnight if they paid out the same amount on every single moneyline bet.

Imagine this scenario for a second. The Atlanta Falcons schedule a football game against a Pee-Wee football team, the Brownsville Bear Cubs, that’s made up of 10-year-olds, and the sportsbooks are allowing you to bet on it.If they were paying out the same amount if the Falcons or the Bear Cubs won, what would happen? Well, 100% of people would bet on the Falcons, and the sportsbook would lose all of their money when Matt Ryan and his Falcons stomped the youth football team. In order to counteract this, the sportsbook must alter the amount that they pay out.Let’s take a quick step back and talk about what the sportsbook’s goal is with any game they are offering action on. Ideally, the sportsbook wants to take the perfect amount of action (money bet) on each side of a game so that regardless of who wins, they make money. Their profit comes from taking a small percentage off of the top as a house fee for facilitating the action.In our earlier example, the sportsbook would be devastated if 100% of the action came in on the Falcons.

The book is not looking to gamble; they are looking for a sure thing. So, to try and entice more people to bet on the Bear Cubs and discourage people from betting on the Falcons, they will alter the payouts. They will make the amount you win for correctly selecting the Bear Cubs much larger and the amount that you win for correctly selecting the Falcons much smaller. The sportsbook will continue tweaking the line like this all the way up until they close for bets on a particular game. They’ll move it back and forth as necessary to try and get that perfect amount of money on each side of the contest. We’ll discuss this line movement and its importance to you much more in-depth in a coming section.What this means is that in each contest, there is going to be a favorite and an underdog.

It’s important to point out that when you look at a moneyline bet, and you see that a team is a favorite or an underdog, this is only in relation to the money that is being bet. While these numbers will usually be in line with which team is the actual favorite and underdog, it could be different. Remember, the betting lines are tweaked so that the sportsbook can get the right amount bet on each side of the contest.Let’s take a look at a moneyline bet and talk about identifying who is the favorite and who is the underdog. 055 — Eagles -300. 056 — Falcons+240There are four elements to the moneyline bet that you can see here. The first column is just an identifier of which bet is which for the sportsbook. When you place your bets, you can tell the sportsbook you want to bet on the Eagles to win or that you want to take bet 055.

This number has nothing to do with the actual game and is just a code for the sportsbook to keep their bets organized.The second column identifies who you are betting on. The first line is a bet on the Eagles to win, and the second line is a bet on the Falcons to win. Next, you will see a column that has a plus or minus sign and a number. The minus sign will always indicate the favorite, and the plus sign will always indicate the underdog.The number that follows the plus or minus sign will indicate how big of a favorite or an underdog the team is. The larger the number is, the bigger the favorite or the underdog the team is. For example, a team that is -300 is a bigger favorite than a team that is -150. A team that is +240 is a bigger underdog than a team that is +130.

Remember, this is not the sportsbook’s actual prediction on who they think will win; it’s in relation to the money that has been bet on the game. It is more depictive of who the betting public thinks is going to win the game.This number will also help you to know how much you will profit for a correct pick. In one of the next sections of this guide, we will walk you through how to calculate those potential payouts. If you hate math, don’t worry.

Most online betting sites will give you tools to help you calculate this without having to do any math yourself. Is that each game will have a favorite and an underdog. Even in contests where it’s a toss-up, the sportsbook will select someone as the favorite and the underdog for betting purposes.

Depending on how big of a favorite or underdog the team or player is, the payout will be adjusted. The bigger the favorite, the smaller the payout. The bigger the underdog, the larger the payout.If you are betting on a sport where there are multiple entrants, like in a race or tournament, you may find that every entrant is paying out at favorite odds. This is because it’s much more challenging to pick a winner from a large field, and the sportsbook will be rewarding you for that. Just know that when you see the plus sign, you will be getting paid better than even money for a correct pick.

American Odds, Decimal Odds, and Fractional OddsBefore we discuss how moneyline bets pay out and how to calculate your potential winnings, we need to discuss the different formats that the bet may be presented to you in. Depending on where you are in the world, you might see moneyline bets presented in one of three formats – American, decimal, or fractional.As you might guess, you’re mainly going to see American odds in American sportsbooks. The other two formats are much more prominent in Europe and Asia. If you’re betting online, most sportsbooks give you the ability to change all of the odds on the site into the format that you prefer. No format is different regarding payouts; it’s just a different way of presenting the information.Let’s take a look at the same bet we looked at earlier presented in each of the three different formats.

Fractional Odds. 055 — Eagles 1/3. 056 — Falcons2.4/1While these may look like completely different bets, they are exactly the same. You will get paid the exact same amount regardless of which team wins. The likelihood of each team winning is exactly the same. All you are seeing are the different ways that the sportsbook might choose to represent the numbers.Regarding the favorites and underdogs, we already know how to figure that out with American odds, but what about with decimal and fractional odds?

Here are the rules you need to know for those.With decimal odds, if the number is greater than 2.0, the team is an underdog according to the sportsbook. If the number is less than 2.0, the team is a favorite according to the sportsbook.With fractional odds, if the number on the top of the fraction (the numerator) is smaller than the number on the bottom of the fraction (the denominator), then the team is a favorite. If the numerator is bigger than the denominator, the team is an underdog. Calculating Your Potential PayoutNow that we’ve covered a lot of the basics concerning moneyline bets, let’s talk about the fun stuff – how much you’re going to make on your next correct moneyline bet.

Remember, most online sportsbooks will automatically calculate the amount you are going to make on a moneyline bet before you even make the bet. You’re able to put in the amount you want to bet, and they will tell you immediately how much you would win from a correct pick.If you’re betting in a brick-and-mortar sportsbook, though, you’re going to have to figure this information out yourself. The book will print on your ticket how much you stand to win, but they aren’t going to let you come up and ask a million times what the payout is going to be. You’ll need to calculate it yourself (or head online to place your bets).Let’s take a look at how to calculate these payouts for each of the three odds formats you could see.

American OddsWe will use our previous example of the Eagles and the Falcons game. Here are those odds again in American odds format. 055 — Eagles -300. 056 — Falcons+240You should already know that the Eagles are the favorite to win and that you should expect less than even money on a correct pick here. You should also know that the Falcons are the favorite, and you should expect better than even money on a correct pick here. Having this in mind every time before you start your calculations will protect you from making a mistake and calculating the completely wrong direction.Let’s imagine that you are going to make a $100 bet on this game.

If you are calculating your profit using American odds, you need to do things slightly different for the favorite and the underdog.For the favorite, you are going to divide 100 by the American odds number and multiply the number you get by the size of your bet. In other words, (100/odds). Bet Size = Profit.

(100/300). $100 = Profit. (.333). $100 = Profit. $33.33 = ProfitYour profit on a $100 bet if the Eagles win would be $33.33. Notice that we didn’t use (-300) in our formula; we just used 300.

Disregard the minus sign when plugging the number into this equation.For the underdog, you are going to divide the American odds number by 100 and multiply the number you get by the size of your bet. In other words, (odds/100). Bet Size = Profit. (240/100). $100 = Profit. (2.4). 100 = Profit.

$240 = ProfitYour profit on a $100 bet if the Falcons win would be $240.Remember, these calculations are for your profit. Profit is different than the total money returned that you will get from the sportsbook. If you correctly bet the Falcons to win, the sportsbook will return you $340. This will be your $240 in profit as well as your $100 bet that you made.

Make sure that you pay attention to this when working with these numbers because we see people get confused all the time as different sportsbooks will give you different numbers. Decimal OddsIn our opinion, decimal odds are much easier to work with, especially when it comes to converting your potential payouts. The reason is that you don’t have to memorize two different formulas depending on who the favorite or the underdog is. In fact, the formula for calculating this is crazy-simple.Whether the team is a favorite or an underdog, all you have to do is multiply the decimal odds by the size of your bet, and you will get your total money returned. In other words, Decimal Odds.

Bet Size = Total Money Returned.We do want to make sure to point out that this is total money returned and not your profit. We went over the difference above when discussing the American odds. Let’s take a look at the same bet again, but this time with decimal odds. We should be expecting to see a profit of $33.33 for an Eagles bet and $240 for a Falcons bet since we know that the bets are the exact same and are just presented in a different format. 055 — Eagles 1.33. 056 — Falcons3.40The Eagles:. Decimal Odds.

Bet Size = Total Money Returned. 1.33. $100 = Total Money Returned. $133.33 = Total Money ReturnedIf you want to see what your profit is, all you have to do is subtract out your initial bet of $100.

This shows us that we should get a profit of $33.33 on a correct Eagles bet.Let’s look at the Falcons now. Decimal Odds. Bet Size = Total Money Returned. 3.40. $100 = Total Money Returned. $340 = Total Money ReturnedTo get our profit, we subtract out our initial $100 bet because this formula is getting us the total money returned to us by the sportsbook.

This gives us a profit of $240 on a correct Falcons bet.As you can see, decimal odds are extremely easy to work with and probably the reason that a lot of the world still uses them. Just make sure you remember that the number you are calculating includes your initial bet. We’ve seen people think they were getting better odds or a better payout because they forgot to subtract out the initial bet. Fractional OddsThe last format we want to look at is fractional odds. Personally, we aren’t a huge fan of fractional odds because they’re the most challenging to work with.

The formula is almost the same as with decimal odds, but it gives your profit instead of total money returned. It also requires you to solve a fraction, which may be a nightmare for a lot of people. Regardless, we are going to walk you through how to do it with the same bet we’ve been working with.For those of you that don’t remember how to solve a fraction, you take the top number and divide it by the bottom number. So, to solve the fraction for the Eagles bet, you would take 1 and divide it by 3. Yes, you may want to get a calculator out if you aren’t a math whiz. 055 — Eagles 1/3.

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056 — Falcons2.4/1. Fractional Odds. Bet Size = Profit. (2.4/1). $100 = Profit. 2.4. $100 = Profit.

$240 = ProfitLine Movement and the Casino’s ProfitAt this point, you know most of the basics surrounding moneyline bets. You know what they are, the different formats they could be presented in, and how to calculate what your profit is going to be with each format. What we want to do now is transition into some of the more advanced concepts surrounding moneyline bets.In order to do that, we need to talk more in-depth about line movement and how the casino makes their profit. Understanding how all of this works will not only make you more of an expert on the topic, but it will also prime you to better understand the betting strategies and how to find value.As we mentioned earlier in this guide, the sportsbook’s goal is to get the correct amount of money bet on each side of a game so that they have zero risks. While they aren’t always able to do this perfectly, the closer they get, the less risk they have, and the surer profit they can lock up.

Let’s say that the Mavericks and the Magic are playing in an upcoming game, and both teams are equal counterparts. Let’s say that the odds for that game are as follows. You will never see these odds, though, because in this example, the sportsbook is not set to make any money if they achieve their goal of getting money on both sides of the bet.

But we need to look at it for you to better understand things. Magic +100. Mavericks-100If you bet $100 on the Magic, you would get $100 in return. If you bet $100 on the Mavericks, you would get $100 in return.

So, as long as the sportsbook takes in the same amount of money on both sides of the bet, they will break even and not lose or gain any money.But these aren’t the odds you would see on an even bet. They would look more like this. Magic +105. Mavericks-110If you bet $100 on the Magic, you would get $105 in return. If you bet $100 on the Mavericks, you would get $90.91 in return. You might be asking yourself why they aren’t paying out the same amount on both sides of the game.

The reason is that the difference is the house rake. Sometimes referred to as the vig or the juice, this is the small percentage that the sportsbook takes off the top for facilitating the action. The percentage that the house takes will vary, and different sides of the bet will pay for it. Line MovementMoneyline bets will move the line based on the amount of money coming in on each side of the bet.

It has nothing to do with who the sportsbook really thinks is going to win the game and everything to do with that delicate dance of getting the right money on both sides. For example, let’s say that the line for the Magic and Mavericks game is the following:.

Magic +105. Mavericks-110Let’s say that people think the Mavericks are going to crush the Magic, and the money starts to pour in on the Mavs. Obviously, the sportsbook likes seeing a lot of bets come in, but they need them to come in evenly. So, to slow down the money coming in on the Mavericks and entice people to bet on the Magic, they will shift both lines. The new line might look something like this:. Magic +125.

Mavericks-130Had you initially bet $100 on the Mavericks, you would walk away with a profit of $90.91. Now, if you bet on the Mavericks, you will see a profit of only $76.92. On the other side of the bet, an earlier bet on the Magic would have paid you $105. Now that same $100 bet will get you $125 if the Magic win the game. Ideally, this will entice more people to bet on the Magic and the action on the Mavericks to slow down.If the action keeps pouring in on the Mavericks, you might see the line move further.

If the action starts coming in too heavily on the Magic, you’ll probably see the line shift back. Basically, it’s a dance that the sportsbook will do all the way up until action closes on that event.In the coming strategy sections, we’re going to hammer home why this is important to you. If you can get a better payout on a bet you were already going to make, you are certainly going to want to do that.

Additionally, you might not like a moneyline bet based on the initial payouts, but you might like it later if the line moves in your favor. Factors That Cause the Moneyline to MoveWe already know that the only thing that causes the moneyline to shift are the bets that are coming in. However, we should talk about what factors will cause the betting patterns of the public to change, and in turn, cause the moneylines to move.

This will go hand in hand with the following betting strategy section. If you can master predicting when and how lines are going to move, you will crush sports betting and moneyline betting. The Big HittersYou may have noticed that we said earlier that it’s the amount of money bet on each side that is important to the sportsbook and not the number of bets. This is an important distinction to understand. If 100 people bet $10 on Team A, and then one person bets $10,000 on Team B, the line is going to shift to attract action onto Team A. Even though more people bet on Team A, more actual money came in on Team B.This means that the people betting the big bucks are going to end up shifting the line considerably. A lot of times, you will see a moneyline released, and then it will quickly shift.

Usually, this is a skilled big bettor taking advantage of what they think is an opportunity. Ideally, you’ll want to jump on bets before these skilled bettors get ahold of it.Usually, a big move in the line early in the week (well before a game happens) is the big bettors.

A big line move closer to the start of the actual game is usually a large chunk of recreational bettors betting one way or the other. This is not an absolute rule, but it does tend to ring true from what we’ve been told by sportsbook executives. Reactions to News MediaOne of the biggest factors you will see change the moneyline odds is the news media. The news does a great job of sensationalizing stories as well as reporting changes that may or may not have an effect on an upcoming game. Recreational bettors have a tendency to overreact to news stories, especially ones that pull on the heartstrings. This can create some really awesome betting opportunities for you to jump on.

Expert bettors and sportsbook executives always say that if you can be on the opposite side of the general public on a bet, you’re probably in a good spot. Injuries and SuspensionsChanges to the lineup for a game will have a big effect on the moneyline as well as any other bets you’re looking to place on that game. If a superstar is suddenly out, it’s going to have a big change on where the money is coming in, which will inevitably cause a big shift in the line.

Sometimes the sportsbook will even adjust the line preemptively if they anticipate a large change in where the money is going to be coming in on a particular game. Changes in ConditionsYou can never rule out the weather in sports. If there is a team or contestant who does better in certain conditions but worse in others, you’re going to see a line movement if the conditions change. For example, a football team that has a strong passing attack might become less of a favorite if rain pops up in the forecast. Often, the line does not shift as quickly as it should in response to changing weather conditions, which can create some good opportunities to find value. Moneyline Betting StrategiesWhile understanding moneyline bets is great, it’s not going to do you any good if you don’t know the strategies needed to maximize your profits and minimize your losses.

If you’re ready to take your bankroll to the next level utilizing moneyline bets, please get ready to pay attention because class is in session. Understand How to Find ValueThe number-one key to success here (as it is with any type of sports bet) is understanding what value is and knowing when and how to take advantage of it.

Value, in a nutshell, is finding sports bets that are paying you at a better rate than you think they should. If you place enough of these bets to overcome variance, you’re going to be a long-term winner.You see, people too frequently get caught up on their win-loss rate, which actually has no real effect on their bottom line. You can win more bets than you lose and still be losing money. On the other side of things, you can lose more bets than you win and be wildly profitable at sports betting. It all comes down to successfully finding value and pouncing on it when you see it.If you are serious about taking your game to the next level, we highly recommend you read this.

It will walk you through everything you need to know to start picking winners that will increase your bottom line.Stop chasing wins and start chasing profit. Predict and React to Line MovementsWe went into detail earlier about what causes moneylines to move.

The better you can get about predicting when these movements will occur and in what direction, the more profitable you’re going to be as a sports bettor. If you find a bet that you like, but you predict it’s going to move more in your favor, you can intelligently wait to bet and lock up a potentially much more profitable opportunity.Moneylines have a tendency to move quite a bit in both directions leading up to a game, match, or fight. It’s a delicate dance that you’re going to have to master if you want to find value and push your edges to the max. Sports betting is a profit source that is all about small edges. Finding and being able to capitalize on these small edges is the key to being profitable long-term.Start studying line movements.

Figure out what makes the public tick. Make the bets you’re already going to make more profitable. Find bets you originally weren’t going to make. Utilize the trends of the market to maximize what moneylines can do for you. Be Wary of Huge FavoritesLet us be clear before we go any further with this strategy tip. If there is value in a bet, go ahead and make it. What we want to talk about, though, are bets where you are risking an abnormally high amount of money to win a very small amount of money.

While this is still technically profitable, you might not get enough opportunities to push through the variance and realize your value.For example, let’s say you’re thinking about betting on something that is -3500. You are almost 100% sure that you’re going to win this bet. If you bet $100 on this bet, you’re going to see a profit of $2.86. Again, this might be worth it to you. An almost 3% return on a sure thing might be something that you’re interested in. However, if you’re looking to make any meaningful profit, you’re going to have to risk a lot of money.

To win $100, you’re going to have to risk $3500.Whether or not this is worth it is up to you. What you may want to look at to help you decide is our next strategy tip – implied probabilities. We’ll revisit this bet there. Understand Implied ProbabilityWhen we look at the odds number attached to a moneyline bet, we know that it gives us the ability to figure out the amount we will win if we’re correct. What it also gives us is the ability to calculate the percentage chance that the bet needs to win for us to break even.

This is known as the implied probability.We go in depth on this in the advanced guide on understanding value that we referenced earlier, but we will give you a brief intro on it here. If you’re able to calculate the percentage chance that you have to win in order to break even, and you can figure out the percentage chance that you think you’re going to win the bet, you can figure out very quickly if there is value.If the implied probability says that you have to win a bet 40% of the time to break even, and you think you’re likely to win the bet 45% of the time, then there is value in the bet.

Remember, the sportsbook pays you more the less likely something is to happen. This means you’ll be getting paid as if the bet is only going to hit 40% of the time (more money), but the bet actually hits 45% of the time if you are right.You might be thinking, “How on Earth am I going to figure out the percentage chance a team is going to win?” Well, we cover this in depth in the referenced guide, but there are really two ways. The first is utilizing a mathematical formula that takes into account the factors that you think are important (covered in the guide). The second way is “eyeballing it.” If two teams play 10 times, how many times do you think a certain team is going to win? If you say they are going to win 6 times, then you think they are going to win 60% (6/10) times. Looking at it as a series of multiple games makes it a lot simpler for you to grasp and predict. Then, you just convert that number to a percentage and compare it with the implied probabilities offered at the sportsbooks.

If there is value, go for it.We mentioned we would touch on the -3500 bet in this section. If you calculate the implied probability of -3500, you see that it is 97.2%. This means that the bet will have to hit 97.2% of the time for you to break even. Now, if you think that the bet is actually 100%, then it might be a smart bet to make.

You’re still going to have to put up a lot of money to see any real sort of profit, which might not be desirable based on your personal preferences.The same is important for huge underdogs. Imagine that you are looking at a team that is +3500.

The implied probability is 2.8%. This means that the team would need to win 2.8% of the time for you to break even. Let’s say you think they do have a better than 2.8% chance of winning. Should you bet it? Well, it depends.Is there value there? Are you going to make money off that bet? Well, it depends.

If you’re only able to make a bet like this once, then you’re most likely going to lose. In order to realize that value, you’ll need to be in a lot of similar opportunities. If you have a very long-term betting strategy, then you can probably get away with making this bet. But if you’re looking for some more regular profit, you might want to steer clear of this. The odds say that the team is only going to win the game a little under 3 times for every 100 times they play.

There is value there, but it depends on your betting strategy if you want to make that bet. The Wrap-UpIf you’re new to sports betting or are a seasoned bettor looking to make some tweaks to your strategy, including moneyline bets could be a great move. They’re simple to learn and provide a fantastic way to add serious profit to your betting strategy. Don’t let their simplicity fool you. It still takes quite a bit of skill to beat them.

But if you take the information we gave you here and really search for value opportunities, you’re hopefully going to be able to come out on top. Remember, sports betting is a marathon and not a sprint, so make sure to think long-term. Featured Pages.

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Odds boards in a Las Vegas sportsbookSports betting is the activity of predicting results and placing a wager on the outcome. The frequency of sports bet upon varies by culture, with the vast majority of bets being placed on, and at both the amateur and professional levels. Sports betting can also extend to non-athletic events, such as reality show contests and political elections, and non-human contests such as, and illegal, underground. It is not uncommon for sports betting websites to offer wagers for entertainment events such as the, the, and the.Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a bookmaker/sportsbook, or illegally through privately run enterprises. The term 'book' is a reference to the books used by wagebrokers to track wagers, payouts, and debts. Many legal sportsbooks are found online, operated over the Internet from jurisdictions separate from the clients they serve, usually to get around various gambling laws (such as the in the ) in select markets, such as, or on gambling cruises through self-serve kiosks. They take bets 'up-front', meaning the bettor must pay the sportsbook before placing the bet.

Illegal bookies, due to the nature of their business, can operate anywhere but only require money from losing bettors and don't require the wagered money up front, creating the possibility of debt to the bookie from the bettor. This creates a number of other criminal elements, thus furthering their illegality.Sports betting has resulted in a number of scandals in sport, affecting the integrity of sports events through various acts including (players affecting the score by missing shots), (a player action is fixed), bad calls from officials at key moments, and overall (the overall result of the event is fixed). Examples include the, the alleged (and later admitted) illegal gambling of former MLB player, and former NBA referee.

One of the biggest scandals of all involves the 2002 NBA Championship games. Was allegedly gambling on the spreads for the games that he refereed. After his trial, went on to release a statement to the public saying how one of the most controversial games in NBA history, Game six of the 2002 NBA Western Conference finals, was rigged. Betting on the Favorite, an 1870 engraving published in. do not have a spread or handicap, and require the chosen team to win the game outright. The favoured team pays lower than does the underdog, thus, it acts mainly as an enticement to take the underdog for a better payout.

Sometimes a bettor may couple this type of bet on the favored team to increase the payout of a parlay. are wagers that are made against the spread.

The spread, or line, is a number assigned by the bookmakers which handicaps one team and favors another when two teams play each other and one is perceived as being more likely to win. The favorite 'takes' points from the final score and the underdog 'gives' points. This number can also be in increments of half-a-point (.5) even though very few sports have.5 point scoring (i.e., The ), in order to avoid the possibility of a tie.For example, before game 5 of the, the were expected to beat the. The line read: Miami −3, Oklahoma City +3. To determine who wins against the spread, the line is either added or subtracted from a team's final score.In the above example, if the bettor chose Miami, he would subtract 3 points from Miami's final score and compare that to Oklahoma City's final score.

If taking Oklahoma City, he will add 3 points to Oklahoma City's final score.For him to win his bet, Miami would have to win the game by 4 points or more.And if a bettor took Oklahoma City, they would have to win outright or lose by less than 3 points.If the final adjusted score is a tie, the bet is considered a push. This is the most common type of bet in American sports betting. are wagers made based on the total score between both teams.

Example, if an MLB game has a total of 10.5, an over bettor will want the combined total to be greater, and the opposite for a bettor taking the under. If the combined total is the same as the proposed total, the bet is a push. are wagers made on a very specific outcome of a match not related to the final score, usually of a statistical nature. Examples include predicting the number of goals a star player scores in an match, betting whether a player will run for a certain number of yards in an game, or wagering that a player on one team will accumulate more hits than another player on the opposing team. A parlay involves multiple bets that rewards successful bettors with a greater payout only if all bets in the parlay win.

A parlay is at least two bets, but can be as many as the bookmaker will allow.The possible payout of the parlay is determined by the combined likelihood of all bets placed. A parlay of riskier bets (more underdogs) will pay greater than a parlay of more likely bets (more favorites).

In a parlay, all bets need to win in order for the parlay to win. If one of the bets on a parlay loses, the whole parlay loses. In the evidence of a push, the pushed bet would be taken out of the parlay and the parlay would bump down to a set of odds without that bet.Parlays are very appealing to bettors because they are less-risky than straight bets. It is hard to predict a single match up of a game so it is in the bettors favor to select multiple bets in the form of a parlay. A teaser is a parlay that gives the bettor an advantage at a lower, but still positive, payout if successful.The bettor selects the sport(s), number of games, and number of points given.If the bettor takes two NBA games at +6.5 it will adjust the individual bets at that rate. So a bet on a 3-point underdog at +3 will become a bet at +9.5 points, and for favorites, it will change a 3-point favorite at −3 to +3.5 points.Although the rules to win his bet are the same as a parlay, he is paid less than a regular parlay due to the increased odds of winning.

An if bet consists of at least two straight bets joined together by an if clause which determines the wager process. If the player's first selection complies with the condition (clause), then the second selection will have action; if the second selection complies with the condition, then the third selection will have action and so on. Run line, puck line, or goal line bets.

These are wagers offered as alternatives to moneyline wagers in, or, respectively. These bets feature a fixed that adjusts payouts based on the handicap between both teams. The greater the underdog, the more a winning bet on the underdog will pay. Future wagers.

While all sports wagers are by definition on future events, bets listed as 'futures' generally have a long-term horizon measured in weeks or months; for example, a bet that a certain team will win the for the upcoming season. Such a bet must be made before the season starts in September, and winning bets will not pay off until the conclusion of the Super Bowl in January or February (although many of the losing bets will be clear well before then and can be closed out by the book). Odds for such a bet generally are expressed in a ratio of units paid to unit wagered. The team wagered upon might be 50–1 to win the, which means that the bet will pay 50 times the amount wagered if the team does so.

In general, most sports books will prefer this type of wager due to the low win-probability, and also the longer period of time in which the house holds the player's money while the bet is pending.A sports book may choose to buy in-play futures wagers at a price below the actual payout before a championship is decided if the potential payout is very high (and thus, damaging to the sports book due to the money that may be lost). The most recent example of this was when pursued and went on to win the 2015/16. Head-to-Head. In these bets, bettor predicts competitors results against each other and not on the overall result of the event. One example are races, where you bet on two or three drivers and their placement among the others. Sometimes you can also bet a “tie”, in which one or both drivers either have the same time, drop out, or get disqualified.

Totalizators. In totalizators (sometimes called flexible-rate bets) the odds are changing in real-time according to the share of total exchange each of the possible outcomes have received taking into account the return rate of the bookmaker offering the bet. For example: If the bookmakers return percentage is 90%, 90% of the amount placed on the winning result will be given back to bettors and 10% goes to the bookmaker.

Naturally the more money bet on a certain result, the smaller the odds on that outcome become. This is similar to in and.

Half bets. A half (halftime) bet applies only to the score of the first or second half. This bet can be placed on the spread (line) or over/under. This can also be applied to a specific quarter in American football or basketball, a fewer number of innings in baseball, or a specific period in hockey. In-play betting. In-play betting is a fairly new feature offered by some online sports books that enables bettors to place new bets while a sporting event is in progress.

In-play betting first appeared towards the end of the 1990s when some bookmakers would take bets over the telephone whilst a sports event was in progress, and has now evolved into a popular online service in many countries. The introduction of in-play betting has allowed bookmakers to increase the number of markets available to bet on during sports events, and gamblers are able to place bets based on many different types of in-game activity during the matches. For example, in football matches, it is possible to bet in on in-play markets including the match result, half-time score, number of goals scored in the first or second half of the game, the number of yellow cards during the match, and the name of the goal scorers. The availability of a particular sport and in-play markets varies from bookmaker to bookmaker. In-play sports betting has structural characteristics that have changed the mechanics of gambling for sports bettors, as they are now able to place a larger number of bets during a single sports game (as opposed to a single bet on who is going to win). One of the most important differences between being able to place an in-running sports bet opposed to a pre-match bet is that the nature of the market has been turned what was previously a discontinuous form of gambling into a continuous one. The gambling study literature has suggested that in-play sports betting may offer more of a risk to problem gamblers because it allows the option for high-speed continuous betting and requires rapid and impulsive decisions in the absence of time for reflection.

There are three different types of in-play sports betting products(cash out, Edit my Acca, and Edit my Bet). Cash Out. Cash Out betting functionality lets the user of a betting website take profit early if their bet is coming in, or get some of their stake back if their bet is going against them—all before the event is over. Cash Out offers are optionally made by the website in real time on some of the current bets held by the user and are optionally taken by the user by clicking on a button on the webpage to 'Cash out'. Cash Out sports betting functionality developed on digital betting websites after 2008 with the evolution of. It was later adopted by and suppliers of betting software. 'Cash out' is offered to users by online operators based on the profitability of offering the option to the user to divest their existing bet on an outcome and is sometimes available on singles and multiples.

It is regularly offered on a wide range of sports, including American football, tennis, horse racing, basketball, and most other markets. You can Cash Out of bets pre-play, in-play, and between legs, prior to the outcome of the event. It has proved a key customer retention tool for sports book operators looking to capitalize on the use of mobile handsets while the bettor/user is also watching a given event. Edit My Acca. This feature allows gamblers to remove selections from their accumulator after the bet has been placed and in some instances after the selected event has started. The betting slip is then revised to feature the amended selections and a new potential return amount.

This can be done online or via a mobile device. Edit My Bet.

The ‘edit bet’ feature can be used by gamblers to ‘unsettle straight accumulators’ before matches have started or whilst they are in-play. The feature can also be used for to swap single bets for new bets, and the gambler is given a new bet selection valued at the bookie's cash out price to reflect live market/game odds for the original bet.Bookmaking. Main article:The bookmaker functions as a market maker for sports wagers, most of which have a binary outcome: a team either wins or loses. The bookmaker accepts both wagers, and maintains a spread (the vigorish) which will ensure a profit regardless of the outcome of the wager. The of 1961 was an attempt by the US government to prevent illegal bookmaking. However, this Act does not apply to other types of. The has not ruled on the meaning of the Federal Wire Act as it pertains to.Bookmakers usually hold an 11–10 advantage over their customers—for small wagers it is closer to a 6–5 advantage—so the bookmaker will most likely survive over the long term.

Successful bookmakers must be able to withstand a large short term loss. (Boyd, 1981)Many of the leading gambling bookmakers from the 1930s to the 1960s got their start during the prohibition era of the 1920s. They were often descendants of the influx of immigrants coming into the USA at this time.

Although the common stereotype is that these bookies were of Italian descent, many leading bookies were of eastern European ancestry. Odds for different outcomes in single bet are presented either in European format (decimal odds), UK format (fractional odds), or American format (moneyline odds).

European format (decimal odds) are used in continental Europe, Canada, and Australia. They are the ratio of the full payout to the stake, in a decimal format. Decimal odds of 2.00 are an even bet.

UK format (fractional odds) are used by British. They are the ratio of the amount won to the stake – the solidus '/' is pronounced 'to' for example 7/1 'seven to one'. Fractional odds of 1/1 are an even bet. US format odds are the amount won on a 100 stake when positive and the stake needed to win 100 when negative. US odds of 100 are an even bet.DecimalFractionalUSHong KongIndoMalayImplied probability1.501/2−2000.50−2.000.501 in 1.5 = 67%2.00Evs (1/1)+1001.001.001.001 in 2 = 50%2.506/4+1501.501.50−0.671 in 2.5 = 40%3.002/1+2002.002.00−0.501 in 3 = 33%Conversion formulas xToDo thisDecimalFractionalx-1, then convert to fractionDecimalUS100.(x-1) if x2; -100/(x-1) if x=1; -100/x if x0; (−100/x)+1 if x0; -100/x, if x=1; (1/x).-1 if x1In Asian betting markets, other frequently used formats for expressing odds include Hong Kong, Malaysian, and Indonesian-style odds formats.

Sportsbook at, during, February 2008In many countries, (the profession of accepting sports wagers) is regulated but not criminalized.In areas where sports betting is illegal, bettors usually make their sports wagers with illicit bookmakers (known colloquially as 'bookies') and on the, where thousands of online bookmakers accept wagers on sporting events around the world.The is fully against any sort of legalization of sports betting, strongly protesting it as to not bring corruption into the game. On the other hand, the CEO of the believe sports betting, in particular in India, should be legalized to curb illegal bookies where has occurred from nontransparent bookmakers. Many of the illegal proceeds also allegedly go to fund terror, drugs and other illegal activities.

United States 1970s–2018: Prohibition on sports betting In the United States, it was previously illegal under the (PASPA) for states to authorize legal sports betting, hence making it effectively illegal. The states of, and —which had pre-existing sports lotteries and sports betting frameworks, were grandfathered in and exempted from the effects of the Act.The PublicMind's 2010 national survey found that 67% of Americans did not support the legalization of Internet betting websites in the United States whereas 21% said they would support legalization.In a national poll released in December 2011, 's PublicMind asked voters whether they “support or oppose changing the federal law to allow sports betting” in their respective states. Just as many voters approved (42%) as opposed (42%) allowing sports betting. Sportsbook at inPennsylvania approved a sports betting law in October 2017, prior to PASPA being turned down.

Pennsylvania became the seventh state to legalize sports betting when the state had regulations for sports betting in place in August 2018. The state approved the first sports betting licenses for and on October 3, 2018.

On November 15, 2018, sports betting began at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course with a two-day test; official sports betting began on November 17, 2018. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course became the first casino in Pennsylvania to offer sports betting.

Several other casinos would follow in launching sports betting. Online sports betting in Pennsylvania began on May 28, 2019 when launched an online sports betting app. Other casinos have followed in offering online sports betting.On November 21, 2018, Rhode Island became the eighth state to legalize sports betting, with in opening the first sportsbook in the state.In 2019, several states, including, and, legalized sports betting. Indiana and Montana permit brick-and-mortar locations such as casinos but Tennessee restricts sports betting to being online only. Positions of American professional sports leagues The positions of the (representing, and ) have become more complex since their decision to embrace (DFS) in 2014, which are described by those within the industry as 'almost identical to a casino' in nature. With the contention by critics that such activities blur the lines between gambling and fantasy sports, the endorsement of all four major sports leagues and many individual franchises provided a marked contrast to their positions on betting.While the (NBA) was once active in preventing sports betting law relaxation, current became the first major sports leader to break from previous administrative opposition to gambling. In 2014 he stated in a op-ed, 'I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.'

In 2017, with support for legalization growing, he confirmed his belief that 'legalized sports betting is inevitable'.(MLB) has also advocated the league changing its stance on sports betting, with both Manfred and Silver noting that the scale of illegal sports betting makes opposition to betting meaningless. He also stated a willingness to 'try to shape' any future legislation at federal level. This was noted as a marked contrast to former Commissioner of the MLB, with Manfred going beyond tacit approval and stating, 'There is this buzz out there in terms of people feeling that there may be an opportunity here for additional legalized sports betting.' The (NFL) remains the only sports league to maintain public opposition to sports betting, however critics have noted that with the move of the in 2019, the NFL has positioned itself for legalization, while simultaneously contradicting its long-held position that sports betting in NFL markets would lead to potential match-fixing. Agreed with Manfred in a July 2017 seminar that betting on in-game events, as opposed to the outcome of games, was a more palatable form of sports betting.The (NHL) has not stated a public position for or against sports betting, with noting that they are smaller than the NBA and NFL and less vulnerable to negative issues as a result.(MLS) the top soccer league in the United States and Canada has expressed sports betting as a possible way to gain popularity. Commissioner has stated about sports gambling, ' We have a project going on now to really dig in deeply and understand it. I’ll join the chorus of saying it’s time to bring it out of the dark ages.

We’re doing what we can to figure out how to manage that effectively.' The and have both publicly endorsed gambling on their games, with the AAF securing a partnership with and the XFL partnering with.The American Gaming Association stated in June 2017, that a coalition will advocate for the repeal of the United States' sports betting ban.In February 2018, a lobbying document surfaced advocating a new position held by the NBA and MLB – that sports leagues should be financially compensated for betting activity. Positions of other sports leagues and governing bodies English football. Premier League kit of sponsorship by, the governing body for in, has imposed football betting bans on all individuals involved in the sport—players, managers, match officials, and club staff. Was an American bookmaker and gambler from Boston, Massachusetts who helped to initiate the 1919.In 1919, the faced the in the. This series would go down as one of the. As the story goes, professional gambler Joseph Sullivan paid eight members of the White Sox (Oscar Felsch, Arnold Gandil, Fred McMullin, Charles Risberg, George Weaver, and Claude Williams) around 10,000 dollars each to fix the World Series.

All eight players were banned from playing professional baseball for the rest of their lives., the all-time MLB leader in hits, was similarly banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games while he was an MLB manager.The rule against gambling in baseball is known as 'Rule 21,' which is publicly posted on dugout walls and states: 'Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever on any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.' Are also forever banned from entry into the, although most such people have been reinstated a few years later by a later.

For instance, and were both banned from baseball in 1983 after taking jobs as casino greeters (which would have expelled them from the Hall of Fame had it been allowed to stand); they were reinstated two years later. Only Rose has yet to be reinstated.between the and, two of the top teams in in the early 1900s, led to the demise of 'big-money' professional football for several years. Modern research has suggested that the claims of betting were unsubstantiated.On December 7, 1980 the San Francisco 49ers overcame a halftime deficit of 28 points in what became the greatest regular season comeback victory in NFL regular season history.

Betting Site

By the beginning of the third quarter, notorious Vegas bookmaker Frank Rosenthal received forfeiture notices from 246 San Francisco bettors totaling more than $25,000 in premature winnings. Rosenthal was able to retain these winnings despite the final outcome of the game due to gambling regulations previously established by the NAGRA. The Cronje Affair was an that went public in 2000. It began in 1996 when the-then captain of the South African national cricket team, was convinced by Mukesh 'John' Gupta, an Indian bookmaker, to throw a match during a Test in. The scheme was discovered when Delhi police recorded illegal dealings between Indian bookmaker Sanjay Chawla and Cronje. According to the in 2010, Cronje was paid off a total of £65,000 from Gupta.Corruption in tennis has been long considered as issue. In 2011, the former world No.

55 Austrian tennis player, became the first tennis player to be banned for life for attempting to. The violations were outstanding between October 2009 and July 2010 after The Tennis Integrity Units had launched an investigation on behalf of the International Tennis Federation and the and tours. In 2004 and 2006, Koellerer was banned for six months due to his bad behavior. In addition, in August 2010, he facilitated betting by placing odds for matches and had links for placing bets. Machine learning in sports betting Machine learning models can make predictions in real time based on data from numerous disparate sources, such as player performance, weather, fan sentiment, etc. Some models have shown accuracy slightly higher than domain experts. These models require a large amount of data that is comparable and well organized prior to analysis, which makes them particularly well suited to predicting the outcome of matches, where large amounts of well structured data is available.