Understanding sports betting odds before making a killing

If you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy in mind then you could emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, not to mention that you could also lose a lot of money in the process. Just like a doctor would require the right skills before operating on a patient, you also will have to work hard to understand sports betting odds before making a killing inside the betting arena.

Each exciting sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and many such more are eligible for betting. Even when the sport is college football handled by the ncaa or pro football handled by the nfl, bets can be placed, even though the odds will certainly 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 along with the top-dog, the over-under and the spread through which you need to win if you decide to bet for or against the spread. A straightforward example will show you betting odds easily. For instance in a nfl match between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, the odds may be displayed as under

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

The very first sign near the teams name indicates the underdog and also the top-dog. Hence, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog because of the “-” sign while the Giants are the underdogs due to the “+” sign next to it. The figure 11.2 signifies the spread plus the favored team has got to win by the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 implies that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The final figure of 160 near the Bills signifies that you need to stake $160 to win $100 together with your stake on that bet since the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. Alternatively, you only need to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet on the Giants since it is the underdog team.

The above was an example of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie displays odds in numerous 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 need to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds prior to placing your bet.

You might definitely be able to bet efficiently and convert most of your placed bets into huge wins if you read and understand sports betting odds. Each sports book will display odds and you’ll have to choose sites that have the best odds for you to bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is essential if you wish to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum number of bets.