Sports betting can be a bit confusing to new bettors. The online sports betting layout is full of scattered numbers, signs and labels, many of which a new bettor will not understand. Lucky for you, we have constructed a page dedicated to the different betting lines and wagering types available through licensed Thanksgiving football betting sites. From point spreads to parlays and beyond, this page will turn an uninformed bettor into a football betting expert. Pay attention to these various betting lines/wagering types, as they will be present in most reputable sportsbook brands.
When you first glance at the sports betting homepage, you will see a large amount of data in front of you. This data includes team names, numbers and a (+) or (-) sign—these are your betting lines. There are five main betting lines to note: point spreads, moneyline, totals (over/under), proposition and futures. These betting line variations combine to form the comprehensive sports betting platform featured in most brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks.
Betting The Spread
Point spread bets involve betting on a team to win against another team by a predetermined amount of points. These bets showcase the bookie’s or oddsmaker’s confidence in a team going into a matchup. For example, in an AFC matchup between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots would likely be favored to win by a wide margin. On a sports betting site, you would see something like: New England Patriots (-7) v. Miami Dolphins (+7). The minus sign indicates the favorite to win and the plus sign indicates the underdog. The corresponding number tells the bettor how much the point differential needs to be at the end of the game to either win or lose their bet. You will also see another number in parenthesis with a (+) or (-) sign attached to it. The corresponding number with a (+) sign is how much you stand to win for a $100 bet. The corresponding number for a (-) sign is how much you have to wager for a profit of $100. In this case, a bet on the Patriots would be a winning bet if they beat the Dolphins by at least 7 points. With point spread bets, the favored team can still win and your bet lose. If the Patriots were to only win by 3 points, your bet would be considered a losing one. Betting on the favored team is a safer bet, but not as lucrative as wagering on the underdog. Point spread bets are the first type of betting line displayed, often on the left-hand side.
Betting The Moneyline
Moneyline bets are essentially the same as a point spread bet with one key difference. Bettors still wager on a team to win or lose and there is a favorite and an underdog. However, moneyline bettors do not have to worry about the point differential. In the previous example, a moneyline bet would be betting on the Patriots to win outright. If they win by 1 point or by 24, the bet remains. Moneyline bets are often displayed in the middle column of the betting line row. The same rules apply for (+) and (-) signs and corresponding numbers.
Betting The Over/Under
Total bets comprise the combined score at the end of the game. This bet can be tricky and depends on the respective offensive and defensive matchups that particular week—i.e. a high-scoring offense will drive up the potential for a successful “over” bet. Total bets are split into two categories: over and under. The betting part is self-explanatory. Bettors are wagering on if the end combined score will either be over or under the predetermined amount. In some cases, there will be an alternate betting line available for in case the match is a draw.
Proposition Bets
Proposition bets, or “prop” bets, are based on an occurrence or non-occurrence in a game. Prop bets change for every sport. Football prop bets can include things like, “Will Tom Brady throw a touchdown in the opening drive?”, or, “Will the Dolphins be leading at halftime?” Prop bets allow for bettors to place more bets on a single game, thus increasing their chances of winning. You can place as many prop bets as you want and even place conflicting ones to cover your bases. Depending on the sportsbook you use, prop bets will either be displayed in a dropdown sidebar menu or can be accessed by clicking the game betting line you are trying to wager on.
Future Bets
The last betting line type is for the most confident type of bettor. Future bets involve staking on something happening at a later time. The most common future betting lines include betting on the Super Bowl winner at the beginning of the season, betting on the Heisman winner, Super Bowl MVP, AFC Champion, NFC Champion and so on. Future bets take time and patience, though locking in your bet early can lead to a potentially huge profit. There are favorites and underdogs in future betting, but anything can happen in an NFL season that could sway things.
All of your wagers are tracked through the Bet Slip. The Bet Slip complies your wagers in one convenient location so you can keep scrolling through different betting lines while keeping track of the bets you have already placed. Some sportsbooks allow you to see how much you stand to win based on the amount you are wagering. The Bet Slip is often on the right-hand side of the screen.
Live Betting
Live Betting is one of the most exciting features of sports betting and features its own betting lines. Live Betting allows you to place bets in real time as the action unfolds; most betting lines close at the start of a game. For example, you can place a bet on a team to win in the fourth quarter as opposed to before the game even starts. These betting lines are time sensitive and often carry some hefty profit margins. Most sportsbooks have a separate Live Betting section away from their standard sportsbooks complete with its own Bet Slip. Live Betting also has its own set of rules that bettors must adhere to.
The different betting lines provide a well-rounded sports betting experience. There is more excitement involved with different stakes on the line. Offshore sportsbooks want to give their bettors a high-quality betting experience and that entails variance with the types of bets offered. You can always browse betting lines before placing your bet, but know once a bet has been submitted it is considered final.
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