You may wonder how propositions work in sports betting. You see them on the betting board sometimes and wonder what they mean. Let’s delve into the math behind these bets so you can have a better understanding of how they work and how you can put them to use in your betting strategies.
Types Of Propositions
Propositions are used in many different sports. Here are a few of the more popular ones:
- Over/Under
- Total Wins
- Total Losses
- Point Spread
- Head-to-Head
- Match Winner
- Combinations Of The Above
What Are The General Rules For Propositions?
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to use the over/under proposition as an example. When you lay down a wager on the over/under proposition, you’re asking the sportsbook to give you the total number of points scored by both teams in the match. In other words, you’re betting that the total number of points scored by both teams will be higher than a specified number.
This could be a fun way to bet if you like basketball, but it can also be quite frustrating if your team loses and the total is lower than expected. On the other hand, if your team wins and the total is higher than expected, you’re going to be happy as can be because you made the right guess. Another important note about over/under propositions is that the payout on these wagers is usually very high. If you’re getting great odds, it’s usually a good idea to take the wager.
How Do I Calculate The Points Scored By Both Teams In An Over/Under Game?
To figure out how many points were scored by each team in a basketball over/under proposition, you need to dig a bit deeper into the numbers. What do the various box scores actually mean? Let’s work through an example to illustrate the point.
Here’s a quick example of a basketball game between North Carolina and Virginia. The total number of points scored in this game was 144. North Carolina had 63 points while Virginia scored 71. Let’s break this down further.
In the first place, North Carolina won the toss and elected to attack first. They scored first points in the 2nd minute and then went on to win the match by 16 points. The final score was 16-2 in favor of North Carolina. This is not a pretty game. How did North Carolina manage to pull this off?
You see, when you win the toss and choose to go first, you get to decide what side you’re going to defend on. In this case, the Tar Heels chose to defend the 1st quarter points and the moneyline. As a result, they only gave up 12 points in the first quarter. Therefore, they were able to stave off the onslaught for the most part. The reason the game was so one-sided is because of how effective the defense was in the first quarter. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the defense was less effective, which increased the score difference.
In the final analysis, the Over/Under portion of a basketball match-up is calculated as follows:
(1) For each quarter, find the total number of points scored by both teams.
(2) Add together the number from (1) for each team.
(3) The answer will be the Over/Under for the game.
In a football over/under, you’re typically betting on the total amount of football yards that will be scored by both teams. The calculation is the same as for a basketball over/under, but instead of totaling up the points at the end of the first and second halves, you need to figure out how many yards each team put up in the entire game. This is a quite often used proposition because a lot of people like to bet on how many yards each team will score. Some examples of football over/under calculations:
(1) Each team scores at least one touchdown (10 points).
(2) If both teams score at least 10 points, the Over/Under for the game is calculated using the tally at the end of the 2nd half. In the event of a tie, the Over/Under for the game is settled using the final score of the match.
(3) If one team scores fewer points than the other, the losing team will be paid accordingly.
These are the general rules for calculating the Over/Under for any sport. It’s always good to remember them so that you don’t end up in a pickle when you’re trying to apply them.
The Importance Of Reading The Book
When you lay down a wager on a proposition, you should do so with the understanding that the oddsmakers generally have to abide by the rules set forth by the sportsbooks. In other words, they can’t give you an answer different from what’s written in the rulebook. In most cases, the books are very clear about this, so you shouldn’t have any trouble figuring out how to apply the rules correctly. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s the other way around and the rulebook isn’t clear enough to help you out. In that case, you should contact the customer service department and ask them for clarification.
Where Do I Place My Bets?
When you’re making a wager, you need to decide where you’re going to put your money. It’s always a good idea to start with the money lines because you can place a wager anytime during the game. For example, if you’ve got a bet on the game’s final score, you can place a wager on whether or not the total number of points scored by both teams will be higher or lower than a specified number. The reason behind this is that the books have to add the bets together and handle them as a single wager. Of course, the books also have to abide by the rules and the answer you get might differ from what you were expecting. Nevertheless, this is usually not the case and the books are usually pretty clear about how they handle individual bets. In most cases, you won’t need to worry about this too much because the answer will always be the same as what you’re looking for.
How Do I Track The Score?
Every now and then, you may also wonder how you can keep track of the score of a particular sporting event. When you make a wager on a proposition, the sportsbook will usually provide you with a section in the middle of the page where you can see the current score of the game. You can find this section using the menu on your betting screen or by looking at the page when the game is over. Remember that in most cases, the score will be updated periodically during the game. This is a good thing because it allows you to keep track of how the game is going even if you’re not watching the match closely. In some instances, the score won’t be updated frequently and you’ll have to check it manually at the end of the game. In other words, sometimes you won’t have access to the updated score. In that case, you can find the final score of the game by looking it up in the rulebook or online databases. Keep in mind that the sportsbook might not have the most recent score in the rulebook because it wasn’t updated in time for printing. In most cases, though, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Hopefully, this article has been able to answer some of your questions about how propositions work in sports betting. It’s always a good idea to keep in mind the basics of sports betting as well as the more advanced math behind the game. Knowing how and where to place your bets is essential to being a successful bettor. With that, you can start putting together the right combination of bets to fit your personal style and line of work. Good luck out there.