What If Sports Book
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As a fan, you don’t care if your team wins by a point or 100. A win is a win, though that 100-point win would be a little easier on the nerves.
In sports betting, how much a team wins by is usually all that matters.
The most popular way to bet for the two most popular sports, basketball and football, is with the point spread, also known as the “side.” Most baseball, hockey and soccer bets are on the moneyline, which is betting on a team to win straight up with adjusted odds. Football and basketball have moneyline bets available too, but most people will take the point spread.
The concept can be a bit confusing if you’ve never dabbled in sports betting before.
Why bet with the point spread?
The point spread was created to attract more action on a game. When the San Francisco 49ers are expected to blow out the Arizona Cardinals, it’s not enticing to lay $300 to win $100 on a moneyline. But when the 49ers are 11-point favorites and each side is -110 odds? That’s much easier.
What If Sports Books
In that example, the 49ers are spotting the Cardinals 11 points before the game starts, at least for bettors. The 49ers have to win by 12 or more points to cover the spread. If the Cardinals win or lose by 10 or less, that side wins the bet. If the game lands on 11, like a 21-10 49ers win, it’s a push and all bets are refunded. If you see a -11 that means that team is favored, and +11 means you’re taking the underdog.
Nothing sharpens your math skills better than trying to figure out how big your lead as a bettor is if you have a 22.5-point basketball underdog that is losing 90-72.
The problem with the point spread can be when a team — which really doesn’t care that you bet the favorite at -11 — has a 14-point lead but gives up a meaningless score at the end to win by only seven points. They’re still happy with the win. You, as a bettor, are not.
© Provided by Yahoo! Sports Sportsbooks have large boards that display point spreads for all games that day. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)Point spreads lead to bad beats
The most infamous example of a bad beat with the point spread probably came in the 2004 Final Four at the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Duke was a 2.5-point underdog against UConn. The Huskies rallied late and took a 79-75 lead on a free throw with 3.2 seconds left. The game itself was over; Duke couldn’t score twice in a few seconds. But Duke guard Chris Duhon pulled up for a running 3-pointer just over the half-court line and banked it in at the buzzer. Duke lost 79-78, but bettors who had Duke and 2.5 points won. March Madness is a huge event for bettors, and reports at the time estimated that Duhon’s “meaningless” shot resulted in a $30 or $40 million swing in Nevada. UConn players celebrated at the final buzzer. UConn bettors doubled over in pain. That’s the difference between betting the moneyline and the point spread.
Baseball and hockey have point spreads too, the “run line” in baseball and “puck line” in hockey. It’s generally 1.5 with odds adjusting accordingly. Taking a big baseball favorite at -1.5 runs can make the odds more palatable. Of course, betting the New York Yankees at -1.5 to bring down the odds from -190 to -110 isn’t too fun when they win 4-3 and you don’t cash a bet.
What If Sports Book
Betting on the point spread is the most common way to wager on sports. And the first time you take a favorite that wins the game but doesn’t cover the spread, you’ll understand every bettor’s heartbreak.
Some people refer to sportsbooks as a sanctuary; a place they can go where they do their best thinking and enjoy the games and atmosphere. Some people refer to them as utter chaos and other than placing their bets at one, do everything in their power to get out before the games actually start. Whether you are one side of the fence, or the other, as long as the sportsbooks have your money tied up with them, they have you right where they want you. Sportsbooks are here to stay, so I suggest getting used to all the chaos.
What Does the Term Sportsbook Mean?
When you hear someone use the term “sportsbook” they are often referring to a company that accepts bets on anything from sporting events to politics to horse racing. A single person who accept bets on sporting events is referred to as a bookie, while oversees in the United Kingdom, they use the term bookmaker instead of sportsbook.
How Do Sportsbooks Operate?
The simple answer for this question is that the sportsbooks are free to operate however they see fit. Each sportsbook has a different set of rules that constitutes what is considered a winning bet. Some facilities offer your money back when a push occurs against the spread, while some consider that a loss on a parlay ticket. Sportsbooks can also set their own lines and odds and adjust them however much they want in order to avoid a big loss, while still attracting action on both sides of the event. While sportsbook try to be unique, the similarities between them are obvious. All of them offer up the same types of bets – money line, point spread, totals, parlays, teasers, game specific prop bets and future bets. However, the juice or vig you will have to pay in order to come out a head is very different from book to book.
How to Choose the Best Sportsbook
In order to get the best bang for your buck while betting on sports, you must shop around and find the best lines. This is money-management 101, but you’d be surprised at how many bettors only have one sportsbook to wager with. As I mentioned, sportsbooks are free to set the odds however they see fit, which means some will have better odds than others. The Chicago Cubs may be -180 at one book and -190 at another. The difference of .10 cents won’t break your bankroll right on the spot, but it adds up down the line.
If you like to play parlays, find a book that offers good returns for a winning parlay bet. Some books offer a percentage on top of your winnings depending on how many teams is in that parlay. If you are a big point spread player, some sportsbooks offer up lines higher or lower (depending on what side you’re playing) than other sportsbooks and some sportsbooks have a points rewards system. If you look hard enough you will find something that fits your style of play.
Most Popular Sportsbooks
Since very few places recognize gambling as being legal, the most popular sportsbooks are in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the betting capital of the world and during events like the NFL playoffs or March Madness, it is incredibly hard to find a seat in these facilities to enjoy the games. Tourists from outside of Nevada flock to Sin City in hopes of turning a couple bucks into much more. If you ask 10 people which sportsbook is their favorite, they will likely all tell you a different answer. Some of the more notable “sportsbooks” in Las Vegas include Westgate, Caesar’s Palace and the MGM Mirage.
What Does Sportsbook Mean
In today’s day and age, online sportsbooks are becoming more and more prominent. These are sportsbooks that have a physical location outside of the United States, but accept clients from all over the world. These kinds of sportsbooks are also referred to as an offshore book. The concept is basically the same as a normal sportsbook except everything is done online with a few clicks of your mouse or taps of your fingers on your phone. Some of the more popular online sportsbook are 5Dimes, Bovada and Bookmaker.
Fanduel Sportsbook
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