In sports betting, small plays are bets that have relatively low points-spread values. Typically in single-digit games, these kinds of bets are the simplest to place because the odds are always favoring the sportsbook. This is in contrast to the large plays that have high point-spread values. Typically, larger bets are made on marquee games with large point-spread values, such as NFL football games or major tennis events.
To provide you with some background, let’s take a quick look back at some of the more significant sporting events that have taken place over the past year.
In January, the NBA All-Star Game was arguably the biggest sporting event of the year. The event was a 3-point competition among the Eastern and Western Conference teams. The West won the game 75-68, which tied them for first place with the NBA season record. This was probably the biggest upset in the history of the NBA All-Star Game. The odds of the West winning were 15-1. The game was played in Phoenix, Arizona, which is one of the hottest locations for sporting events in North America. This is likely because it has the 4th-largest airport in the United States, which is often used by major sporting events.
A few months later in March, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament began. The event was played almost perfectly, with the average score of the games being just 38.8 points. The biggest upset of the tournament was the Virginia Tech Hokies defeating the Miami Hurricanes 73-72. The Hokies were originally 12-1 underdogs in the game, which was played in San Antonio. This was a shocking result because the Hurricanes were the No. 4-seeded team in the ACC entering the tournament. In other words, the game wasn’t supposed to be close.
In April, the NCAA women’s basketball tournament began. This was a relatively close race, with the average game score being 49.2 points. However, the biggest upset of the tournament was the Northern Iowa Panthers defeating the 12th-seeded LSU Tigers 60-54. The Tigers were ranked as the No. 3 team in the SEC entering the tournament, and the upset was just as shocking as the Hokies vs. Hurricanes game. In both instances, the favorites were heavily favored to win. In the case of the LSU vs. Northern Iowa game, Northern Iowa was a 7-2 favorite. In the Virginia Tech vs. Miami game, the Hokies were 14-1 favorites.
In May, the UEFA Champions League final was held in Madrid, Spain. This was one of the biggest sporting events of the year, with fans traveling from all over Europe to see the English Premier League club Manchester United face off against Spanish giants Barcelona. The match was a classic with both teams scoring goals and creating chances. However, it was Bayern Munich who proved to be the superior side, beating Manchester United 2-1. The betting odds for this match were very long, with Manchester United being 13-8 favorites. This was the sixth time that these two clubs had faced each other in a European final. Barcelona were 29-1 underdogs in the match. The game was played in front of a capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.
In June, the Wimbledon tennis tournament concluded. This was another major sporting event of the year that was covered by many publications. The top-seeded player in the tournament was Serena Williams. She became the first-ever women’s player to hold a winning streak of 22 matches in a Grand Slam event after defeating Karolina Pliskova in the final. The odds for this match were very long, with Serena being 11-8 favorite. This was also the first Grand Slam tournament to be held in England since 1972, with fans traveling to London for the event. The trophy for this match was known as the Wimbledon Cup. This is because the competition is sponsored by the famous English biscuit company, Wimbledon.
In July, the U.S. Grand Prix was held at the Watkins Glen International Raceway in Watkins Glen, New York. This was the third Major League Baseball game that was played this year, following the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Washington Nationals game in March and the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants game in May. The U.S. Grand Prix is one of the two Triple Crown events, along with the Indy 500. The participants in the Grand Prix are the best drivers from the United States and Canada. The first annual U.S. Grand Prix was won by Kevin Ward Jr. and Alexander Rossi, who drove for the Andretti Autosport team. Rossi became the first-ever Canadian to win the race, finishing ahead of Ward by just 0.04 seconds. The odds of this race were very long, with Ward being 15-2 favorite and Rossi being 12-1 underdog. The race was broadcast live on NBC. It was known for being one of the most exciting races to watch this year because of the close competition.
In August, the Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was the third time that the Summer Olympics were held in Brazil, with the other two being the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The United States men’s national soccer team won the gold medal in the men’s tournament, edging out Ghana in the final. This is the first time that the U.S. has competed in the men’s tournament as an independent country after the breakup of the former United States of America. The odds of this match were 10-3 with the U.S. men’s team being the 3rd-favorite to win the gold medal. This was also the first time that a soccer-related event was held at the Summer Olympics. The U.S. women’s national soccer team also won the gold medal, defeating Japan in the final. The odds of this match were 7-1 with the U.S. women’s team being the 2nd-favorite to win. This was the first gold medal for the U.S. at the Summer Olympics since 1904, and the first gold medal for either the U.S. or Brazilian men’s soccer teams at the Summer Olympics.
In September, the NFL season kicked off. This was yet another major sporting event that was covered by many publications. The biggest game that was played this month was the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game, which was played on a Thursday night. In fact, it was the most-viewed NFL game this year, with 104.8 million people tuning in. The game was a 32-point shootout, which is the largest in NFL history. The underdogs, the Jaguars, prevailed over the heavily favored Steelers, 43-40. The odds of this game were very long, with Jacksonville being 19-2 favorites and Pittsburgh being 12-1 underdogs. This was the third time that these two teams had met this year, with all three of their matches going over the total. The first two games were high-scoring snoozers, with the third game being decided by a field goal in overtime.
In October, the World Series was held in Los Angeles, California, which is one of the biggest cities in the U.S. The series was a battle of California teams, with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants. This year’s World Series was another classic. The series went the distance, with the final game being a 10-inning duel between Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. The Dodgers finally claimed their 10th World Series Championship, with the odds for this game being 15-2 with the Dodgers being 4th-favorites. This was another fitting end to a fantastic year of sports.
What Does \”Small Play\” Mean in Sports Betting?
Back to the subject at hand, what does \”small play\” mean in sports betting?
Generally, in sports betting, a small play has a relatively low odds of winning as compared to a large play. For example, a $100 bet on a small play will have a win rate of 60%, as compared to a 70% win rate for a $100 bet on a large play. This is because there are fewer wagers on smaller plays, which means that the action is concentrated on the handful of games that have the highest odds. Typically, a small play is used for gambling purposes on the side, whereas a large play is used for investing. Let’s examine each term in more detail:
Relatively Low Odds Of Winning
As a gambler, you might be inclined to bet on the underdog in virtually every sport because they typically offer better odds. However, in the case of smaller plays, that notion can be negated. For example, the Atlanta Braves were 18-1 underdogs against the Chicago Cubs in the 2017 NL Wild Card Game. The Braves eventually came from behind to win the game, 3-2. But in the process, the bettors who had wagered on the underdogs lost, as all the props on the over were wagered. This is because the odds of winning a smaller play are generally very low as compared to a large play. That is to say, there is less chance of winning the small play.