In case you have entered the betting arena without having a clear strategy under consideration then you might emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, not to mention that you might also lose a lot of money in the process. Just like 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 inside the betting arena.
Each fascinating 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 games handled by way of the ncaa or pro football handled by the nfl, bets may be placed, even though the odds will surely differ in each sport and every 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 also 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 must win if you decide to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will explain 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 first sign next to the teams name indicates the underdog and also the top-dog. Therefore, Buffalo Bills is the top-dog due to the “-” sign whereas 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 implies that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The last figure of 160 near the Bills indicates that you have to stake $160 to win $100 together with your stake on that bet because the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. On the other hand, you only have to bet $100 to win $270 if you bet for the Giants as it is the underdog team.
The above was an example of betting odds from the American odds format. Each bookie will display odds in numerous formats but you would be able to 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 definitely need to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.
You will certainly 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 displays odds and you’ll have to select sites that 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 number of bets.
