Understanding sports betting odds before you make a killing

If you have entered the betting arena without having a clear strategy under consideration then you could emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, plus you might also lose a ton of money in the process. Just as a doctor would need the right skills before operating on a patient, you too must work tirelessly in understanding sports betting odds before you make a killing in the betting arena.

Each fascinating sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and several such more qualify for betting. Even when the sport is college football games handled by way of the ncaa or pro football handled by way of the nfl, bets may be placed, even though the odds will surely differ in every sport and each game too. Odds are also displayed differently in different countries. By way of example, USA displays odds as American odds, i.e. -100, -230, etc, while Canada, Australia and European countries display odds as Decimal odds, i.e. 2.50, 1.30, etc, and the UK displays odds as Fractional odds, i.e. 8/8, 8/4, etc.

Sports betting odds also display the underdog team together with the top-dog, the over-under and the spread through which you need to win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will explain betting odds easily. For example in an nfl match between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, the odds could be displayed as under

Buffalo Bills -11.2 -120 -160
New York Giants +11.2 -120 +270

The first sign near the teams name indicates the underdog and the top-dog. Therefore, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog because of the “-” sign whereas the Giants would be the underdogs because of the “+” sign beside it. The figure 11.2 signifies the spread and the favored team has got to win by the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 means that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The last figure of 160 next to the Bills indicates that you have to stake $160 to win $100 along with your stake on that bet since the Bills are the favored team to win. Alternatively, you simply have to bet $100 to win $270 if you bet for the Giants as it is the underdog team.

The above was an illustration of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie displays odds in different formats however, you could quickly convert it in your format when using the odds converter obtainable in most websites. The Internet has today definitely made betting easier although you will certainly have to work towards understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.

You might certainly be in a position to bet efficiently and convert most of your placed bets into huge wins in case you read and understand sports betting odds. Each sports book displays odds and you will have to choose sites which have the best odds that you can bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is vital if you wish to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the highest number of bets.