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Live ScoresSports Betting 101
Sports betting is a big industry - the Wall Street Journal has estimated that 100 million Americans participate in sports betting, and that they wager almost $100 billion each year.
For some people, it's as simple as having an occasional flutter, putting a few dollars on a match every now and then, just for fun. For others, it is a more serious hobby or even a mini-business where they attempt to make a profit.
You can place bets at a local bookmaker, or you can try online sports betting. There are lots of dedicated sports betting web sites, and some online betting and casino sites, such as 888.com, are starting to offer sports betting services too. When selecting a site, make sure that they use a secure payment processor so that your money stays safe!
The main thing that sets 'professional' bettors apart from casual ones is the way they manage their bankroll. The hobbyist will just think of a figure and place a bet. When you are betting regularly you cannot afford to do this. The professional better understands how to read the betting odds. A serious bettor will work out how much they have to play with for the season, and only bet a very small percentage of this each game.
Making only small bets may seem counter intuitive - after all, how can you get a big win if you don't take risks? Well, as a serious bettor you aren't looking for those occasional big wins. The best professional bettors rarely manage 60% wins over a season - most people only hit around 54% - but, that is decently profitable as long as you are disciplined in how you manage your money.
Now you know which online sports betting site to use, and how much money you have to play with, the next thing to consider is what bets to make. Some people use a sports handicapping service - with these, you pay a subscription fee, and they will send you a list of picks that they have worked out for you. Handicapping services can be very useful, especially if you don't have the time to pour over statistics and game histories before placing your bet.
When you come to make your wager, you look up your game at the bookmakers online betting site, and will be presented with a table of betting odds. This example, for a football game, will show you the two most common kinds of bet - Against The Spread (ATS), and Over / Under.
| Team | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Team A | -4 (-110) | 25 (-110) |
| Team B | +4 (-110) | 25 (-110) |
In this case, Team A is favored to win the game, and the line shows that they are +4 with a total of 25 points.
If you bet on Team A, they will have to win by four or more points for you to win. If they lose, or win, but by less than four points, then you will have lost the bet.
The total listed in the table is the expected total number of points scored in the entire game. If you bet 'Over' then you are betting that the combined score of both teams will be more than 25. If you bet 'Under' then you are betting it will be less than 25.
The figure in brackets, -110, indicates that the bookmaker is taking a ten percent commission on each bet.
Other common bets include Side bets - simply betting that a particular team will win, and Half Time Totals - betting on what the score will be at half time.
