Many sports fans are a little intimidated when it comes to betting on games, especially now that legalization of sports gambling is in full swing with 13 billion bets made legally in 2019. But with a little research you can make your first bet confidently and have fun.
There are many different types of sports bets. Some are simple wagers based on yes/no logic, like the over/under bet where a bettor places a bet that a game’s final score will be over or under a certain number of points. Others are based on handicaps that set one team up over another (like a football game where the oddsmakers give the favorite seven and a half points). In these bets, a bettor wins only if their team covers the spread.
Other types of bets are futures bets, where you bet on events that have not yet happened, like a team winning the championship or a player becoming the playoff MVP. These bets have odds that change based on things like injury news, performance and trades.
Most sports bettors are fans who use their knowledge of a sport or a team to earn a little extra cash. But they still need to take the time to understand the numbers and unique circumstances of each game. Plus, they have to respect the market by knowing that no one is smarter than the betting line a book sets.