As sports betting becomes more popular, the learning curve to understand how it all works can be steep. The basics include straight bets, totals and point spreads. Then there are player and team props, which are wagers that focus on specific aspects of a game or event. But there are other nuances and tips to consider as well.
Totals bets, also known as over/under bets, are wagers that predict whether a particular game will end with more (over) or fewer (under) runs, goals and points than the total amount posted by oddsmakers. For example, a game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks has an over/under of 42.5 points. If you expect a defensive slugfest, bet on the over. If you think the game will be a back-and-forth shootout, bet on the under.
Taking proper records is essential to being a successful sports bettor, and a good standard spreadsheet will help you keep track of your wins/losses. Professional bettors keep near-obsessive records, which feed into other key tips, such as only placing bets on teams they can win a majority of their games and only betting on sports with which they are innately more familiar.
Finally, it’s important to remember that it’s not easy to make money betting on sports, and even a talented bettor will suffer big losses at times. So it’s crucial to always bet within your bankroll limits, and to avoid betting on games that you don’t know much about or can’t win.