If you’re new to sports betting, you might wonder what the difference is between scoring -3 and scoring -5 in some bookies’ odds. Well, let’s find out!
The Roles Of Odds And Scoring
Before explaining what -5 means in sports betting, it’s important to understand how this score relates to odds and the current betting market. When you bet on sports, whether online or at a bookmaker, you’re essentially placing a wager on the outcome of an event. When an underdog (or a team you believe to be an underdog) beats the favorite, the winner typically receives odds that are very favorable to them. So when the favorites lose, the bookies have to make up the difference in profitability.
For example, if you bet £10 on a football match and the underdog wins by a score of 3-0, you’ll win £15 because the bookie makes a profit of £5 on each winning bet. Alternatively, if you bet £10 on a football match and the favorite wins by a score of 0-3, you’ll lose £15 because the bookie makes a profit of £5 on each losing bet (in this case, the underdog would’ve been a better choice).
As a result, betting odds can vary from book to book and even from website to website, but they will always reflect the current betting market. Sometimes, the odds on a particular event may even be rigged or offered by a scam bookie to attract unsuspecting customers. But you can’t beat free odds!
What Does -5 Mean In Sports Betting?
When used in reference to sports betting, -5 usually means that the public or the favorite will win, even though the odds may favor the underdog. For instance, if you bet £5 on a football match and the favorite wins by a score of 3-0, you’ll win £15 because the bookie makes a profit of £5 on each winning bet. Instead, if you bet £5 on a football match and the underdog wins by a score of 0-3, you’ll lose £15 because the bookie makes a profit of £5 on each losing bet.
You’ll notice that -5 doesn’t always mean that the underdog will win. For instance, if you bet £5 on a horse race and the favorite wins by a wide margin, you’ll probably end up losing because the bookie makes more profit on winning bets. In general, though, if you’re getting -5 odds, it’s usually a sign that the public’s interest in the event is higher than the bookie’s interest in promoting it.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’re getting -5 odds, it’s a good idea to ignore the outcome and just enjoy the game. Bookmakers are in the business of making money, and if they think that nobody’s going to bet on the game because they’re afraid of losing, then they’ll push the odds in favor of the favorite. But if you’re looking for a good time and you feel like the underdog has a chance, then you might want to consider betting on them.
The Importance Of Point Spreads
Although betting on the outcome of an event isn’t illegal, it’s often frowned upon. One of the reasons behind this is that a great deal of money can be made when betting on professional sports. In fact, it’s not unusual for fans of an underdog team to pay excessive attention to the point spread — the actual score of the game — rather than the final outcome. This is sometimes referred to as ‘picking favorites’.
The idea behind this is that since the point spread is usually very small, it’s easy to understand how it can be manipulated by bookmakers. This is why the point spread is usually not considered the best measurement of the outcome of a game, even though it may be the only one that bettors have access to. In most cases, the final score is determined by a combination of factors, including which team shows up to play and how well they play. So, while the point spread may give the illusion of certainty, it really isn’t.
Examples Of What -5 Means In Sports Betting
The examples below should help you understand what -5 means in sports betting. But before you dive in, be sure to note the following:
- The examples below use betting exchanges, but many of the concepts described here also apply to traditional sportsbooks
- The examples below use two different bookies, but the results are the same
- The odds displayed below are from betting exchanges, but you can usually find the same information at a typical sportsbook
- The odds always favor the favorites in international sports betting, so if you’re looking for an even chance, choose your betting site carefully
Let’s look at each example individually.
Over/Under Scoring
An over or under score is used in certain situations to denote whether a team scored more or less than the final score would suggest. For example, if you bet on a basketball game and the favorite scores 100 points and wins by 100-102, you’ll win £10 because the bookie makes a profit of £2 on each winning bet. Alternatively, if the underdog scores 100 points and wins by 102-100, you’ll lose £10 because the bookie makes a profit of £2 on each losing bet.
An under score ties in with over scoring in that an under score represents that a team scored less than expected. But the difference is that the under score doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll win. For example, if you bet on a basketball game and the favorite scores 100 points and wins by 102-100, you’ll still win £10 because the bookie makes a profit of £2 on each winning bet. But if you bet on a basketball game and the underdog scores 103 points and wins by 100-103, you’ll lose £10 because the bookie makes a profit of £3 on each losing bet.
The key takeaway from this is that even if the favorite scores heavily, you might still stand a chance at winning. The reason behind this is that in some cases the score may not yet reflect how good either team actually was. So even though the favorite scored 100 points, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they were that good. They may have just been lucky. Or, they might’ve played a bad game and only managed to score because they were on a roll. In short, over/under scoring can help you identify situations where the favorite wasn’t that good and the underdog had a chance to win. But to maximize your winnings, it’s important to bet on the underdog in these situations.
Handicapping
If you’re a fan of a particular team or player, it’s likely that you’ll find yourself wondering how the other team performed. One of the answers could be found by looking at the spread between the two teams. This is also something that bettors do, and it’s often a good idea to make use of this too. For example, if you bet on a football (soccer) match and the spread is 1.8 goals, you’ll know that the bookie is in the middle of a push and won’t necessarily make much profit. But if the spread is 4.0 goals, the bookie will likely make a profit because more people are betting on the favorite than the underdog. In short, if you want to know how a certain team or player is going to perform or if you simply want to make some extra cash from a winning opportunity, you can look at the spread to get an idea of how well they’re going to do.
Odds Movements
Another thing you can do if you’re a fan of a particular team or player is to keep an eye on how the odds are moving. Sometimes, this can give you a decent idea of what’s going on and whether or not your money is likely to be worth it. But often, it just means that the bookie is having a bad day and might be pushing some odds to make up for it. In these situations, it’s usually a good idea to walk away.
Why Is The Betting Market Decided By The Score?
If you’re a betting market enthusiast, it’s very likely that you’ll keep a close eye on the score of a game. This goes beyond traditional sportsbooks and even places that offer only online betting. But when analyzing betting data, this score is one of the most important factors. Why? Because it’s the only measurement that most people have access to when making bets. If you’re a betting market participant, this is something you’ll want to keep in mind when analyzing the result of a game.