There are millions of sports fans around the world that watch games and think to themselves “betting on sports must be easy money.” While it can be a fun pastime, to make any kind of profit requires a lot of research, time, and effort. There are no quick and easy shortcuts to becoming a successful sports bettor, and most bettors will have a few bad days before they start to see results.
The most important thing to remember when betting on sports is that it’s a game of chance. No one becomes a good sports bettor overnight, and it will take months and even years before they are considered an expert. There are, however, some things that every bettor can do to improve their odds of winning, and one of those is learning the language and terminology.
Teaser: A bet on more than one team with a lower payout than a parlay. Total bet (over/under): A bet on the combined score of both teams in a game, including overtime/extra innings. Over: When the combined score is higher than what the sportsbook set. Under: When the combined score is lower than what the sportsbook set.
Props (proposition) bets are wagers that don’t fall into the category of moneylines, spreads or total bets. These bets typically have a much higher risk than a standard bet, but offer a larger payout if you win. These bets can include things like weather forecasts, current injury information and a team’s history against their opponent.