Comprehending sports betting odds before you make a killing

If you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy under consideration then you might emerge out as a very unhappy bettor, not to mention that you might also lose a ton of money in the process. Just as a doctor would require the right skills before operating on a patient, you too must work hard in understanding sports betting odds before you make a killing in the betting arena.

Each exciting sport such as boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and several such more are eligible for betting. Even if the sport is college football handled by way of the ncaa or pro football handled by way of the nfl, bets may be placed, even though the odds will certainly differ in each sport and every game too. Odds are also displayed differently in different countries. For example, USA displays odds as American odds, i.e. -100, -230, etc, while Canada, Australia and Countries in Europe 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 must win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A straightforward example will show you betting odds easily. For example in a nfl match involving 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 signifies the underdog and the top-dog. Therefore, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog due to the “-” sign while the Giants would be the underdogs because of the “+” sign beside it. The figure 11.2 indicates the spread plus 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 final figure of 160 near the Bills indicates that you have to stake $160 to win $100 together with your stake on that bet since the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. On the other hand, you only need to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet for 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 would be able to quickly convert it in your format by using the odds converter obtainable in most websites. The Internet has today definitely made betting easier although you will certainly need to work towards understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.

You will 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 select sites which have the best odds that you can bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is essential if you want to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum amount of bets.