The concept behind pod is pretty easy to understand. Basically, it’s automated trading in the world of sports. And because there’s so much activity in sports betting markets, it can be lucrative to invest in automated trading platforms like pod, which allow for quick entry and high leverage. If you’re looking for a quick reference, here’s a short list of the common terms associated with sports trading and betting:
Market
The term market is generally used to describe the group of people and institutions that are involved in the buying and selling of sports assets. In other words, a market is the place where you can buy or sell sports items such as players, teams, and leagues. If you’re new to sports betting, starting with the basics of the market can help you get the most out of your experience.
A lot of people consider limit markets to be the most basic form of a market. Essentially, a limit market is where you can place a wager on the outcome of an event with two teams competing against each other (e.g., the winner takes all). The upper limit refers to the maximum score that a team can achieve while the lower limit refers to the amount of points that the other team must accumulate to win the game. For example, if the home team scores 20 points and the visiting team scores 15 points, the bettor would win a unit of currency (e.g., one dollar) for the home team. In case of a tie, the bettor would lose the bet.
Money Line
The money line, also known as the chalk line, is one of the most basic and popular bets in sports betting. Simply put, a money line wager begins with the two teams arranged in a line (with at least one point of separation) so that the straight down the middle is visible. The team on the left is the underdog and the team on the right is the favorite to win the game.
The advantage of a money line bet is that it is extremely easy to understand. The bettor can easily visualize the layout of the two teams and how the game will unfold. If you’re looking for an easy way to invest in sports, starting with the basics of the money line may be the way to go.
Total Offense
Total offensive wagers, sometimes referred to as over/under wagers, are a bit more sophisticated than money line bets but still very easy to understand. The idea behind a total offensive wager is to bet on the total points that will be scored by both teams in the upcoming game. For example, you may choose to back the Denver Broncos against the San Francisco 49ers with the under being 4.5 points. In this case, the Broncos would win the bet because they scored 43 points while the 49ers only scored 38 points.
The advantage of choosing a total offensive bet is that you get to see the total amount of points scored by both teams as opposed to just one team, which is the case with most other types of wagers. This can be very useful when trying to decide which team is the better one or which one is more likely to win the game. Sometimes, you even get the opportunity to choose the outcome of the game (e.g., will there be a tie or will one team win by a certain score?).
Runners Up
Runners up are used to group together the remaining teams in a given contest or tournament after the champions have been decided upon. For example, in a single elimination tournament, such as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the champions will be decided based on who wins the most games during the course of the tournament. After the final game, the remaining teams will be gathered together and rated using runners up.
The advantage of choosing a runners up bet is that it allows you to choose a winner that was not one of the original two teams in the competition. In other words, with a two-team race, you get to choose the runner up, which is often a more valuable prize than choosing the winner because it gives the bettor the opportunity to analyze the quality of competition. Additionally, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can even choose which runner up you’d like to see advance to the next round. Some people consider a triple-header, where three games are played back to back, to be the pinnacle of sports betting success. This is generally because it gives the bettor the opportunity to make some easy money while also expanding his or her knowledge about a particular sport. In case you were wondering, yes, a triple header does exist and is pretty popular in Japan.
Pick
A pick, sometimes referred to as a selection, is where you place a wager on the final score of an upcoming game. For example, say the Miami Heat play the New York Knicks in a match up on January 15th, 2019 at 7:00 pm EST. You’d likely put down a pick on Miami winning the game by more than 10 points.
The advantage of a pick is that it allows for easy analysis of game previews because, generally, the scores are the only two numbers needed to determine the winner. You don’t need to dig through statistics or videos to see how the game will unfold. For these reasons, picks are often the go-to option for people who want to get into sports betting but don’t want to get too bogged down in the minutia of sports statistics. However, choosing a winner based on a game preview can sometimes lead to you choosing the wrong winner because the scores can be inaccurate predictions of how the game will play out. This is why it’s important to do your own research and verify the scores before you bet on them.
Over/Under
An over/under wager, sometimes referred to as an against the point spread wager, is the simplest and most popular type of wager in sports betting. The idea behind an over/under wager is to bet on the total amount of points that will be scored by one team while reserving the other team to score less than a set number of points. For example, if the Oakland Raiders play the Arizona Cardinals and you choose the over, you’d win the bet if the Raiders score 28 points or more while the Cardinals score less than 28 points.
The advantage of choosing an over/under bet is that it is extremely easy to understand and set up. The disadvantage is that sometimes the point spread can be difficult to anticipate. For example, if you choose the over on a game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, you’re essentially placing a bet on the Giants because they are the higher scoring team. But you have no idea if they will play over or under their usual high score or if the Cowboys will play above or below their usual low score.
Head-to-Head
Head-to-head wagers are similar to over/unders but, instead of betting on the total score, you place a wager on the score of each individual game. For example, if the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Boston Bruins in a best of seven series with each team playing three games at home, you’d lay down a head-to-head wager on Game seven to see which team can score the most total points. In the event of a Game seven, the head-to-head bettor would win because they’d have to cover each other in points scored during the entire series. In case you were wondering, yes, there is an official term for covering a head-to-head wager in case you get confused during one of the many game weeklies: trifecta.
Parlay
A parlay, sometimes referred to as an accumulation wager, is where you place a wager on the combined total points that will be scored by multiple teams. For example, say the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks in an upcoming match up. If you choose the parlay, you would win the bet if both teams score 34 points or more. Alternatively, you would lose the bet if either team scores less than 34 points.
The advantage of choosing a parlay is that it is extremely easy to understand and setup since all you need to do is simply add up the total points scored by the selected teams. The disadvantage is that sometimes the bettor doesn’t get to see all of the games he or she wants to see because the teams may not all be available for play. Also, in case you’re wondering, there is no singular term for covering a parlay in case you get confused during one of the many game weeklies. However, one of the most popular types of parlay is the trifecta, where you place a wager on the score of three games, usually involving two professional teams and the winners of a single game between two amateur teams. The amateurs in the single game trifecta must be participating in the same sport as the teams in the other two games in the parlay.