What Does Minus 3.5 Mean in Betting?

If you’re new to online betting or simply want to see how things work, this article is for you. We’re going to break down the basics of betting and what exactly Minus 3.5 means in terms of winning and losing. Check out the article below.

What Is Minus 3.5?

If you’ve ever watched the Price Is Right TV show, you’ll know that the minimum number of matches you need to win is 3.5. That is the magic number in terms of betting odds. Below you’ll see the breakdown of what those 3.5 points mean and how to use them. 

The Number Of Matches You Need To Win

The number of matches you need to win for the price to go down on a bet is 3.5. That is because the more you wage, the more you stand to win. The probability of you getting the right number quickly diminishes as the stakes get higher. If you’re curious, the minimum number of matches you need to win is the same for all sports so don’t forget about it when making bets!

The Odds Of Winning

Odds are the chances of winning or losing on a bet. To win or lose, you need to achieve a certain number of points based on the number of matches you’ve matched. 

For example, if you bet $1 and you win, you’ll earn $3.50. The payout for that bet is 3.5, which is the required number of matches you needed to win. If you check the odds on a particular bookmaker, you’ll usually find the payout percentage next to the odds. That will tell you how likely the bookmaker thinks you are to win on a particular wager. 

The advantage of looking at the odds is that they will almost always be a better reflection of what is happening relative to your wager than the payout will be. For example, if you look at the NFL football odds and you’ve wagered $100 on the game, the odds will be 100 to 1, but the payout for that bet will be 50:50.

When Do You Need To Wager?

The earlier you wager, the more you’ll stand to win. That is because the odds will always be in your favor as the tournament progresses. 

For instance, if you wager on a hockey game in the 4th quarter, you’ll stand a chance of winning because the puck will still be in play at the end of the game. However, if you wager on a tennis match in the 2nd set, you’ll definitely lose because the score will be 6-0 at that point and there’s no coming back!

Sometimes you’ll want to wager at the beginning of a tournament just to see how things play out. That is usually not a good idea, though, as you’ll be giving the favored teams and players an advantage by starting your wager when the event is still in the early stages. Another very popular time to wager is right before the start of a championship game. That is because the energy is already building up and the tension is mounting as the players are trying to outwit each other to reach the pinnacle.

Where Do You Place Your Wager?

The location of your wager will determine the results of your bet. For example, if you bet on a game between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, you’re likely to see a lot of wins because the Warriors are located in San Francisco while the Kings are based in Sac. However, if you bet on an NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors, it will be very unlikely that you’ll win because the Raptors are based in Chicago while the Bulls are in Toronto. 

Each bookmaker will have different policies regarding where you can and can’t place your wager, so it’s always best to check the rules and regulations before doing anything.

Final Takeaway

Minus 3.5 means that if you bet $1 and you win, you’ll earn $3.50. This is usually the case in terms of betting odds, but it varies by sport. 

For example, if you bet on the Super Bowl, you’ll need to win 3.5 out of the 6 matches to earn $3.50. That is because the payout for a bet on the Super Bowl is 6-2 and it is usually at least 3.5 matches to win $3.50. If you did manage to win the Super Bowl, you’d earn $6,500 because you wagered $100 on the final game. That is one thousand dollars more than you would have earned by watching the game.

To recap, if you’re new to betting or simply want to familiarize yourself with how things work, this article is for you. We’ve covered the basics including what Minus 3.5 means and how to use it. If you’ve followed all the instructions above, don’t forget about it when making your next wager! Good luck out there.