When people ask me what 14.5 means in betting, I usually say it means 14.5 inches. To most people, that might seem like it has no bearing on their life, but to a few others, it’s a completely different story. If you’re one of those people, then this article is for you.
The Difference In Size
If someone comes up to you and tells you that something is 14.5 inches, you probably wouldn’t have any idea what they were talking about. For the most part, that would be fine, because 14.5 inches isn’t a number that most people have in mind when thinking about betting. If that were the case, then it would be almost impossible to have any idea what the point of betting is.
To give you some perspective on what 14.5 inches means in betting, let’s take a look at the different types of bets you might see and what each one means.
Straight Betting
A straight bet is the simplest kind of bet to understand. It simply asks if the outcome will be the same as the bettor predicted. For example, did the bettor predict that the score of a certain game would be 14–6, or did they predict it would be 14–7?
When someone makes a straight bet, that is, whether something will happen or not, the term “will” or “will not” is used to describe the bet. Straight bets are typically placed on the outcome of a sporting event or a game. When someone books a straight bet, they are actually placing an “ante” or “lay” bet. That is, they are making an ongoing bet that the outcome of the game will be the same as what they predicted at the time the bet was placed.
First-To-Beat Betting
First-to-beat betting is a variation of straight betting where the bettor tries to predict the winner of a sporting event or game before the other contestants. To make a first-to-beat bet, one would need to bet on a team or an athlete that they think will win before the others do. First-to-beat betting is usually open to the public, and the payout for a successful first-to-beat bet is greater than for a straight bet. That is, if one predicts an upset victory, then they win more money.
Exotic/Multiply-Betting
Exotic betting and multiply betting are types of bets where the bettor tries to predict the winner of a sporting event or game, but the outcome is determined by several factors. For example, in exotic betting, there might be a tiebreaker or a playoff that is used to determine the winner. Or in a multiply bet, there might be several games that are being played simultaneously, and the winner is determined by points or by a combination of the outcomes from each game.
When someone books an exotic bet, they are normally asked to name the sports they want to bet on and the types of props they want to use. For example, if they want to bet on the Philadelphia Eagles, then they would need to specify if they want to use points, runs, or yards as the basis for their bet. Exotic betting is commonly seen in casinos, but some types of bets, such as baseball or basketball bets, can use standard bets.
Over/Under/Square Betting
An over/under/square bet is a combination of these three types of bets where the bettor tries to predict the outcome of a sporting event or game and the amount of points that will be scored/allowed to be scored. For example, did the bettor predict that the total number of points scored by both teams would be 120 or did they predict it would be 122?
When someone makes an over/under/square bet, they are normally asked to name the sports they want to bet on and the types of props they want to use. For example, if they want to bet on the number of points scored by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game this year, then they would need to specify if they want to use points or tries as the basis for their bet. Some types of squares are based on a specific outcome of a game (i.e. will the Seahawks score more points than the 49ers in this year’s Super Bowl?), while others (i.e. will the combined point totals from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans be more or less than 270?) can be used with any sporting event or game.
These are just some of the basic variations of bets you might see in a casino. If you’re looking for a way to learn more, then I would recommend checking out the books by Ed Farhat or David Sklansky. They’re not really essential reading, but they do provide a great deal of information about betting and how to make the most of it. With all the information floating around on the internet about betting, it’s hard to know where to start. That’s why I’ve tried to outline as much as I can here, so you can get a general idea of what these different types of bets mean, and how they work.