Sports betting has been around for centuries and contains grown in popularity in the recent years due to technology. You can now place a bet online with your favourite sports book, or create a selection on your cell phone – each one of these at the comfort of your own home. Sports betting has never been easier in the annals of mankind to bet on sports.

Sports wagering will surely provide extreme fun and excitement to those passionate about sports as well as the serious bettors finding a way to make smart money. Before one embarks on sports betting, it might be wise to understand the essential of sports betting.

In this article become familiar with the 8 basic terms and definitions popular in betting on sports.

1. Straight Bets

A straight bet may be the most common bet. This is where you wager about the same side to win. Straight bets could be made using either the point spread or the amount of money line or the overall game total to go over or under. The format of line will change according to the sport that you are betting on.

2. Parlays

A parlay is really a bet with several teams (events) in which all teams must win. Because it is harder to predict multiple events than it is for an individual event, the payout odds increases because the number of included events increases.

3. Teasers

A teaser is a special kind of parlay in sports betting in which you adjust the idea spread or total of each individual play. Additional points are either either added to the underdog or subtracted from the favorite. The price of moving the point spread (teasing) is lower payout odds for winning the teaser wagers.

4. Props

In sports betting, a prop is a special wager provided by the sports book on unique and various topics. These wagers could be on sports, politics, and even trial outcomes. The wagers use the money line format of pay off odds and may included for example who scores the first touchdown in the super bowl, or who will win the next presidential election, or whether or not O. J. will undoubtedly be found guilty.

5. Futures

In sports betting, futures odds are posted beforehand on the winners (a team or perhaps a player) of various major events or tournaments at the start of a season. The odds will change because the season or tournament progresses and it’ll change in accordance with each team’s performance in the series. However the odds at the time of your wager will stay in effect.

6. Total (over/under)

In sports betting, a total wager would be to bet on the combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including the overtime. It is possible to bet Over – In sports betting the over is really a sports bet where the bettor guesses that the combined point total of two teams will be above a specified total. Or it is possible to bet Under – With regards to sports betting a under is really a wager where the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain number.

7. Point Spread

In sports betting this is the predicted scoring differential between two teams as quoted by way of a sports book. A “line” is set for each game by the odds makers. Favorites will have a – (minus) sign accompanied by a number, as the underdogs will have a + (plus), accompanied by a number. Here’s a good example NFL line:

Chicago + 7

Baltimore -7

Baltimore may be the favorite and must win by 8 points or even more to win. If they win by exactly 7 points, the overall game is a “push” or tie, and you also get the quantity of your bet back. If Baltimore wins by 6 points or less, or loses the game, then those that bet on Chicago will win the money.