Understanding sports betting odds before making a killing
In case you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy under consideration then you could emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, not to mention that you could also lose a ton of money at the same time. Just as a doctor would need the right skills before operating on a patient, you too must work hard to understand sports betting odds before making a killing in the betting arena.
Each exciting sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and several 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 may be placed, although the odds will surely 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 European countries display odds as Decimal odds, i.e. 2.50, 1.30, etc, and also 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 also the spread through which you need to win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will show you 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 next to the teams name signifies the underdog and also the top-dog. Hence, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog due to the “-” sign while the Giants are the underdogs because of the “+” sign beside it. The figure 11.2 signifies the spread plus the favored team has 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 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. On the other hand, you simply have to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet for the Giants since it is the underdog team.
The above mentined was an example of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie will display odds in different formats but you would be able to quickly convert it in your format by using the odds converter available in most websites. The Internet has today definitely made betting easier although you will definitely 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 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 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 highest amount of bets.