When you are reading up on sports betting odds, you will often come across the plus and minus symbols. These are used to let you know the amount you need to stake in order to make a profit. The meaning behind this is often not clear, and it can be quite confusing. Read on and you will find out what these symbols mean, and how to make the most of them.
The Odds Meaning
When you are looking at a list of odds, you will often see these symbols following the decimal point. This is to indicate that you will need to stake plus or minus $1 on the outcome of the game in order to achieve a profit. The plus and minus signs are also used to show whether or not you are winning or losing. For instance, if the decimal point is preceded by a plus sign, this means you are winning the bet and you will need to stake more money on the event. Or, if the decimal point is preceded by a minus sign, this means you are losing the bet and you will need to stake less money on the event.
Probabilities Mean
When you are looking at a sports betting odds list, you will often see these symbols following the decimal point. In this case, they indicate the likelihood that an event will happen. For example, a -350 odds means that the probability of this event is 350 to 1. This indicates that there is a very good chance that the event will happen, and you will need to stake $350 to make a profit on this bet. Conversely, a +350 odds means that the probability of this event is only 350 to 1, which indicates that there is only a small chance that it will happen and you will need to stake $1 to make a profit on this bet.
In-Play Betting
Some booksmakers, such as Bovada and BetOnline, will also list in-play betting odds, which are used when events are happening during the game. This is done using a different set of probabilities, which take into account the current state of the game, and let you know what the implied probability is at that moment. An example of this would be, let’s say, the New York Jets are playing the Buffalo Bills. At some point during the game, you notice that the Jets are struggling, and they are trailing by a few points. Suddenly, the spread drops to, let’s say, five points. What does this mean? It means that there is a five percent chance that the Jets will win the game and the spread will be five points. Or, if you are losing the game, there is a 95 percent chance that the spread will be more than five points.
With in-play betting, the odds can fluctuate wildly and quickly change, so if you are planning on placing a wager, then it is essential that you do so quickly and with as much precision as possible. Waiting until the middle of the game to place a wager, when the odds are already moving, can be very risky business.
Over/Under Bets
These are simply bets where you guess how many goals a team will score or concede in a given game. If you were betting on the over/under totals, then you would need to stake $1 on whether or not the total will be over or under the posted total. You would need to guess at which goal line the total will end up on in order to achieve a profit from this bet. For example, if the total is set at 55 and you guess that they will score 59 goals, then you would need to stake $1 on whether or not they will score 55 goals or they will score 59 goals. If they score 55 goals, then you would win your bet, but if they score 59 goals, then you would lose your bet. This type of bet is frequently found in college basketball and football, but can appear in any sport.
On the other hand, if you were betting on the under, then you would need to guess at which goal line the total will end up on, and you would need to stake $1 on whether or not they will score at least that many goals. For example, if the total is set at 55 and they score 59 goals, then you would need to stake $1 on whether or not they will score at least 55 goals, or the total will be at least 59 goals. If they score at least 55 goals, then you would win your bet, but if they score fewer than 55 goals, then you would lose your bet. Just remember, with over/under bets, the odds will fluctuate, so if you are planning on placing a wager, then it is essential that you do so quickly and with as much precision as possible.
In addition to the above, many sportsbooks will also list moneyline bets, which are simply bets where you guess which team will win the game. You would need to stake $1 on whether or not your team will win the game, and the odds of this event will determine whether or not you will win your bet. If you were betting on the over/under totals for the Jets-Bills game, then you would need to guess which goal line the totals will end up on in order to achieve a profit from this bet. For example, if the over/under total is set at 55 and the Jets win the game, then you would win your bet, but if they lose, then you would lose your bet. Or, if you were betting on the under, then you would need to stake $1 on whether or not the Bills will cover the point spread. For instance, if the over/under total is set at 55 and the Jets win the game, then you will win your bet, but if they lose the game, then you would lose your bet.
Place Bets As Early As Possible
When you are playing at a casino, it is essential that you try to place bets as soon as possible, particularly if you are playing for high stakes. The reason behind this is simple. When you are playing for high stakes, the house edge will begin to accumulate and can quickly eat into your profits. The longer you wait to place your bets, the more money the house edge will cost you. The key, however, is to place your bets judiciously and only when you have the best possible odds of winning. Waiting until the last minute to place a bet can result in you losing out on large amounts of money. This is why you should always try to place bets as early as possible.
Use Properly Demarcated Ranges
When you are using an odds calculator to figure out your betting percentages, you will need to understand how they are constructed. Specifically, you will need to understand the demarcation of the ranges that they use. Often times, these ranges can be quite broad. For example, if you are using a five-point favorite to win a ten dollar bet, then you may be setting the range quite liberally. What this means is that if you are staking $100 on the game, you will either win $110 or you will lose $110. There is no typical win here. It might be a little bit more or a little bit less, so broad ranges like this can be risky business, and it is often better to use ranges that are much more closely defined. If you want to use ranges that are broader than this, then you will need to add more decimal places to the odds, which can also increase the volatility of your wagers, and make it more difficult to calculate accurate betting percentages.
Understand The Limits
When a sportsbook opens up a betting line for a game, it usually sets limits on how much you can wager on that event. This means that, for example, you cannot place a wager greater than the limit, or else you will lose your money. Once you reach your betting limit, you can no longer wager on the event, and you will need to wait until the limit is removed or lifted before you can place a new bet.