In case you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy in mind then you could emerge out as a very unhappy bettor, not to mention that you could also lose a lot of money at the same time. 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 you make a killing inside the betting arena.
Each fascinating sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and many 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 way of the nfl, bets can be placed, even though the odds will surely differ in every 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 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 by which you need to win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will explain betting odds easily. For example in an 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 indicates the underdog and the top-dog. Hence, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog because of the “-” sign whereas the Giants are the underdogs due to the “+” sign next to 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 implies that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The final figure of 160 next to the Bills indicates that you need 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 on 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 numerous formats but you would be able to quickly convert it in your format by using the odds converter available in most websites. The world wide web has today definitely made betting easier although you will definitely have to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds prior to placing 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 displays odds and you’ll have to select sites that have the most effective odds for you to bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is vital if you want to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum amount of bets.