When you’re betting on sports, odds are always something you need to bear in mind. Odds are the chances of one thing happening over another. For example, if you’re betting on the Super Bowl, the odds might be 2 to 1 (2 points for each dollar you wager) that the New England Patriots will win. That’s because the Patriots are 2nd on the list of favorites, with the New York Giants coming in as the 1st choice of sports bettors.
What if you’re playing the other way around? What if you’ve got New England as your favorite, and you think the Pats’ chances of winning are less than 1 in 3?
In that case, you might want to consider betting the other way. It’s not necessarily an indication that the favorite will lose, but it could be a sign that the odds are in your favor. That’s because when you wager on the underdog, your chances of winning increase. Let’s take a look at some of the most common examples of when odds are negative, and how you can get the best possible odds when betting on sports:
Underdog
Odds are always a factor when you’re betting on sports, but they’re particularly important when it comes to the underdogs. This is because underdogs are the perfect scenario for a gambler. If you think the Patriots will lose the Super Bowl, then why would you wager on them? You’d rather take the points (2) and have the money left over for the middle-streets game. But if you think the underdogs are going to win, then wagering on them might be the best decision you could make.
An underdog is a team that many people believe will lose, but who you think will come out on top. When you bet on an underdog, you’re basically saying that you believe the odds are in their favor. If you’re right, you’ll win big. If you’re wrong, you’ll lose what you wagered. But either way, you’ll be a happy camper.
Long Shot
Sometimes, the favorite will be a long shot with no chance of winning. This is why when you see odds like that, you should consider betting the other way around. The favorite in question could be a New York football club, for example. Many people believe that the New York Jets will beat the Buffalo Bills in this upcoming Sunday’s game, but that’s a long shot. The Jets are 4th on the list of favorites, with the Bills coming in as the 5th choice. Even if the Jets win, they’ll be the underdogs.
A long shot is a very, very small chance of winning. You might consider a long shot to be any team with less than a 10% chance of winning. Anything below that, and the team is most likely an underdog.
Pick’em
Sometimes, the favorite will be so one-sided that even the bookies have given up on them. This is why when you see odds like that, you should consider betting the other way around. If you think the Chiefs will win the ALCS, you might want to wager on them, as the chances of them winning are 33 to 1. As for the other series, you could wager on the underdogs in game 1 (3rd series), then switch to the favorites (2nd series) for the rest of the series.
A pick’em is a game where you have to pick 3 winners out of a group of 5. You have to pick teams that are so evenly matched that betting on one of them is more or less the same as betting on the others. These are the kinds of games that the NBA used to offer, back in the day. But they’ve stopped doing them, for legal reasons.
Expectancy
Sometimes, the line for a game will be so skewed in favor of one team that even the bookies have changed their odds to reflect it. This is why when you see odds like that, you should consider betting the other way around. The line for the Super Bowl will be heavily in favor of the Patriots, for example. Many people are expecting them to beat the Giants, by a wide margin. The Patriots are 3.5 points ahead of the Giants, at the moment, and that’s a pretty good indication that you might want to steer clear of betting on them.
Expectancy is what you make of it. It’s all in your head. Some people think the Patriots will win by a landslide, and that the Giants will cover the spread. Others think the opposite. But either way, you’ll be happy with the outcome, as long as you wagered the right way.
Head To Head
Sometimes, the favorite will be so clear-cut that there’s no chance of any sort of upset. This is why when you see odds like that, you should consider betting the other way around. The Steelers are favorites to win the AFC North, and people expect them to beat the Browns. The line for the game is currently 3.5 points in favor of the Steelers. If you’re looking for an easy way to win, then heading to head is the game for you.
A head to head is a type of wagering where you have to pick the winner of 2 games. As for the favorite in this case, they have to be clear-cut victories. If you’re looking for an upset, then you should consider going with the underdogs in the first game, then switching to the favorites for game 2. You’ll have to pick a side before the games even start, though.
Match Up
Sometimes the favorite will be a clear-cut matchup. This is why when you see odds like that, you should consider betting the other way around. The Eagles are a heavy favorite to win the NFC East. The line for this Thursday’s game is 3 points in favor of the Eagles. If you’re looking for an easy way to win, then match up is the game for you. Plus, you get to ride the underdog wave all the way to the bank. It’s amazing what a difference a little bit of motivation can make.
A match up is a game where you have to pick the winner of a head-to-head matchup. You can also bet on the total number of points that will be scored in the game. It’s all about finding the right combination of betting options for you.
Special Teams
Sometimes, the favorite will be decided by the special teams. A lot of times, the underdog will win when the opposing team’s special teams step up. There’s no point in discussing this topic any further, as most sportsbooks will list the odds for both teams’ special teams. If you want to find out who the favorite is, check the odds before you place a bet.
Over/Under
Sometimes the favorite will be decided by the final score. It’s easy enough to figure out who the favorite is in an over/under game. The over is the total amount of points that will be scored in the game. The under is the total amount of points that will be scored by the opposing team. It’s rare to find an over/under game for a championship game, as the line moves constantly. But there will be an over/under prediction for the Sunday’s Super Bowl, as the Patriots are heavy favorites.
An over/under is similar to a pick’em game, where you have to choose one team or the other, but with one crucial difference: in an over/under game, you only have to choose one side, and you don’t get to change your mind once the game starts. There’s no changing sides once the game starts in a pick’em game, but in an over/under game, it’s much easier to switch gears and bet on the under if you’re struggling to choose a side. In an over/under game, you get one and done. No headaches. You’re either happy with your decision or you need to switch gears and make another one.
Proven Performance
Sometimes, you’ll see a team with no chance of winning, but with a history of performing well when playing certain opponents. There’s no use in discussing this topic any further, as most sportsbooks will list the odds for both teams. But if you want to find out who the favorite is, check the odds before you place a bet.