When it comes to betting on sports, there are generally two ways to go about it. You can either select teams you think will win based on statistics and odds, or you can look at recent performances and trends to make educated guesses about who will win based on their past results. Unfortunately, there is no exact science to sports betting. You will generally get a certain amount of profit or loss no matter what you choose. It’s all about which approach you want to take.
Minus Means The Opposite
When you place a wager on a sports team that is losing, you are essentially making a bet that they will improve their performance in the near future. This is similar to betting on a minus wager or teaser horse in horse racing. When the odds are against you in sports betting, it means that the team or the horse you are backing is performing below expected levels at the moment. In other words, they are underperforming compared to historical averages for that sport.
For example, if you were to bet $10 on the Seattle Seahawks to win their next game, you would be risking $10 on a $3 wager ($10 divided by $3 equals $3). You would lose your $10 because the Seahawks lost their last game 53–16. In this case, you lost $16 on your wager ($10 plus $6), which is not what you wanted to risk in the first place. If you did not want to risk that amount, you should have placed the same wager on the San Francisco 49ers, whose odds of winning were only 2.53 at the time you made the bet (2.53 is what you would get if you paid $3 to win $10).
Teasers are also a good example of a losing wager. You are essentially placing a bet that a horse will lose a certain amount of money (generally, it’s $2 to $5). If the horse you selected ends up winning, you could end up with a nice gain even though you lost the initial bet. However, if the horse you selected loses, you lose whatever you paid plus an additional $2 to $5.
Plus Means The Opposite
When you place a wager on a sports team that is winning, you are essentially making a bet that they will stay the same or will continue to improve their performance in the near future. This is similar to betting on a plus wager or teaser horse in horse racing. When the odds are in your favor in sports betting, it means that the team or the horse you are backing is performing above their expected levels at the moment. In other words, they are overperforming compared to historical averages for that sport.
For example, if you were to bet $10 on the Seattle Seahawks to win their next game, you would be risking $10 on a $3 wager ($10 divided by $3 equals $3). You would win your $10 because the Seahawks won their last game 13–7. In this case, you won $16 on your wager ($10 plus $6), which is what you wanted to risk. If you did not want to risk that amount, you should have placed the same wager on the 49ers, whose odds of winning were 4.33 at the time you made the bet (4.33 is what you would get if you paid $3 to win $10).
Teasers are also a good example of a winning wager. You are essentially placing a bet that a horse will win a certain amount of money (generally, it’s $2 to $5). If the horse you selected ends up winning, you could end up with a nice gain even though you lost the initial bet. However, if the horse you selected loses, you lose whatever you paid plus an additional $2 to $5.
These betting phrases can be confusing to new and experienced sports betters alike. When it comes to putting money down on sports, it can be hard to know how much you should risk and on which teams you should focus your attention. Hopefully, this article will help clear up some of the confusion and provide you with an idea of what exactly the opposite of what you want means in regards to sports betting.