Teach me how to bet – Syndication Server

Betting 101: How to bet on boxing for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around boxing, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on boxing has been very lucrative over the years for bettors. We’ll take a look at ways to minimize risk while maximizing profits, especially for the bettor looking to dip their toe into the pugilism betting pool for the first time.

Boxing betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

2-way betting: Each individual bout can simply be wagered upon picking a straight-up winner, similar to a moneyline bet in the other major sports, with a favorite and an underdog.
3-way betting: Each individual bout can be wagered upon picking a winner or by choosing to select a draw (or tie).
Method of victory: If you like a fighter to win, but perhaps he is an overwhelming favorite, you can be more specific to mitigate your risk. There are a few different ways a bout can end. A fighter can win on points, either by KO/TKO/Technical Decision or disqualification (DQ).
Round betting: Fights, particularly the big-ticket events, can be bet by picking a winner in a particular round. Rather than betting on the 2- or 3-way betting line, it can be more lucrative to bet on a fighter to finish his opponent in a particular round. It’s difficult to pinpoint, and sometimes it’s good to bet on several rounds to be on the safe side, but it can pay off very handsomely.

Boxing betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: The fighter who is more likely to win the fight will require more than your return on investment.
Underdog: On the flip side, this is the fighter not expected to win. It can be more lucrative than taking the favorite, as you will return your stake and plus-money from your wager.
Push or Draw: A wager which ends in a tie, which is not a losing ticket, but not a winning ticket, either. You simply receive your wager back.
Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, -200 and higher is considered heavy chalk.
Parlay: If you were to bet two fighters to win on the 2-way line, for example, you would need to win each end of the bet to cash. You can still win a parlay if one end wins and the other is a push.

Boxing betting: How do odds work?

Boxing odds can vary greatly. Sometimes the favorite is not too expensive, but other times, particularly in undercard or preliminary events, the favorite can have rather high odds. For example, if you were to bet a heavy favorite at -800, you would need to risk $80 to profit just $10. An underdog wager at +550 would profit $55 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on NASCAR for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around NASCAR, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on NASCAR can be a daunting task for first-time bettors. In fact, you might lose a good chunk of money right off the bat if you simply try to pick a winner for each race out of a sea of drivers competing for the checkered flag. Luckily, there are more than a few ways to win money without having to choose the driver who will be doing celebratory burnouts before pulling into Victory Lane.

NASCAR betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Choose the winner: Easily the most difficult. Similar to a moneyline bet in other sports, you will pick the driver who will win the race outright. There are tools you can use, such as Average-Finish Position (AFP) across previous races at a track, NASCAR Loop Data from previous stops, and knowing a driver’s production on certain types of tracks – flat tracks, intermediate, short tracks, superspeedways for example. If you hit on the winning driver, it can pay off handsomely, but it’s far more difficult than it sounds.
Selecting a driver to finish in the Top 3: If you like a driver, but aren’t confident of his finishing and winning the race, you can bet on him to finish inside the Top 3. This will not pay off nearly as well as an outright win, but it can still be rather lucrative. Sometimes the driver with the best car doesn’t always win, but he is right there at the end.
Driver vs. driver: For some of the major races, you can bet on Driver vs. Driver – or matchup betting. For example, wagering on a prop of Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Busch is betting on which driver will finish higher. These are particularly popular for the Daytona 500 and other major races on the season. You can also participate in Group Betting where you select a driver among a group of four or five. If your pick finishes higher than the rest, you win.
Props: Again, this is mostly for the major races. Sportsbooks offer such props as “will a an odd- or even-numbered car win the race?” You can bet on the Over/Under of the car number of the winning driver. You can bet on whether the car manufacturer of the winning driver was Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota. Like the Super Bowl, or any major sporting event, these special props are available for the biggest races on the schedule. You can even bet the Over/Under on how many caution flags will come out during a race.

NASCAR betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: Similar to any other sport, the favorite – or chalk – is the driver with the greatest chance of winning the checkered flag.
Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, +350 and higher is considered heavy chalk. Long shots for a particular race will be in the neighborhood of +2000 or greater.
Future betting: If you would like a long-term bet, you can choose a driver at the beginning of the season to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. You can still make this bet during the season, as the odds are adjusted as the year goes on.

NASCAR betting: How do odds work?

NASCAR racing odds can vary greatly. There is rarely, if ever, a time where the favorite is minus-money. For example, if you were to bet an overwhelming favorite at +350, a $10 winning bet profits $350. An underdog wager at +2500 would profit $2500 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on the UFC for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around UFC, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Wagering on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) can be very lucrative for bettors. We’ll take a look at ways to minimize risk while maximizing profits, especially for the bettor looking to dip their toe into the mixed-martial arts betting pool for the first time.

UFC betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

2-way betting: Each individual bout can simply be wagered upon picking a straight-up winner, similar to a moneyline bet in the other major sports, with a favorite and an underdog.
Method of victory: If you like a fighter to win, but perhaps he/she is an overwhelming favorite, you can be more specific to mitigate your risk. There are a few different ways a bout can end. A fighter can win on points, either a unanimous decision, split decision or a majority decision. The fight can also end in a draw, or tie. In addition, you can bet on a fighter to win via submission or a KO/TKO.
Round betting: Fights which are either preliminaries or on the main card leading up to the main event/co-main events are three rounds, while main events are five rounds. You can choose a fighter to win in a certain round and/or you can bet the Over/Under on when the fight will end. For instance, if you feel the fight will go the distance, you would bet the Over.
Double chance betting: One of my favorite betting props is double chance betting. If you are particularly interested in betting a fighter who is also a submission specialist facing another fighter with terrible defense, you might take the favorite to win by submission and points. If he doesn’t win by submission, but wins on points, or vice versa, you still win.

UFC betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: The fighter who is more likely to win the fight will require more than your return on investment.
Underdog: On the flip side, this is the fighter not expected to win. It can be more lucrative than taking the favorite, as you will return your stake and plus-money from your wager.
Push or Draw: A wager which ends in a tie, which is not a losing ticket, but not a winning ticket, either. You simply receive your wager back.
Chalk: This refers to a heavy favorite. For example, -200 and higher is considered heavy chalk.
Parlay: If you were to bet two fighters to win on the 2-way line, for example, you would need to win each end of the bet to cash. You can still win a parlay if one end wins and the other is a push.

UFC betting: How do odds work?

Mixed-martial arts odds can vary greatly. Sometimes the favorite is not terribly steep, but other times, particularly in undercard events, the favorite can have rather high odds. For example, if you were to bet an overwhelming favorite at -750, you would need to risk $75 to profit just $10. An underdog wager at +190 would profit $19 on a $10 bet.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on the NBA for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around the NBA, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Interested in betting on the NBA, but don’t know where to start? Below is everything you need to know about betting on the NBA, including key terms to know, odds and much more!

NBA betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Single-game betting: The most common is betting on the final outcome of a single game. Bettors can either bet on which team will win outright or cover the point spread. Single-game bets are offered for every NBA game, whether it be during the regular season or the playoffs.
Futures Bets: Players can wager on events in the distant future, such as division winners, player and coach awards and the NBA Finals. Futures bets are becoming more popular as bettors can watch and root for their bet over the course of an entire season.
Live Betting: With the help of mobile apps and sports betting becoming legal in more and more states, players can bet instantly on the NBA, guessing which team will score the most points in a quarter, updated moneylines and point spreads.

NBA betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: The team expected to win the upcoming game. Favorites are usually expressed in the moneyline with a (-) sign, followed by a number. These odds can fluctuate from -105 to -1200 depending on the game location and opponent.
Underdog: The team expected to lose an upcoming game outright. Underdogs are usually expressed in the moneyline with a (+) sign. These odds can fluctuate from anywhere from +105 to +1000 given the two teams.
Moneyline: The moneyline refers to a team’s odds to win the upcoming game outright. As mentioned above, favorites will be listed with a (-) sign and underdogs will have a (+) sign.
Spread: The spread refers to the number of points a favorite is expected to win by and the amount the underdog is expected to lose by in a given contest. The spread offers more value to players as the odds are typically the same or similar on each side. In NBA contests, favorites could be anywhere from -1 to -21 point favorites, meaning they would need to win by at least 2 or 22 points in order to cover the bet.
Over/Under: This refers to the total amount of points that will be scored in a given contest. Often times, this number will bet set with a half-point, in order to avoid a push.
Push: Every once in a while, the spread or the point total will land exactly on the number set by the sportsbook. In this case, all bets will be refunded to bettors on either side.
Chalk: This is a term meaning a favorite is too risky to bet on due to such a small payout. In the NBA, a chalky favorite would typically carry odds of -250 or lower.
Parlay: This is when two or more bets are combined into one single bet with higher odds. All outcomes need to be considered “won” in order for the entire parlay bet to cash.

NBA betting: How do odds work?

Most bets are displayed via a single number. An example of this would be a moneyline favorite of -200, where a $200 wager would return a profit of $100. An underdog of +300 would return a profit of $300 for every $100 wagered.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Marcus_Mosher on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

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Betting 101: How to bet on college basketball for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around college basketball, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

We lost the 2020 NCAA Tournament, unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. It was a tough way for a great and wide-open season of college basketball to wrap up. A lot of people tend to play the brackets or bet on NCAA Tournament games, but they do not take the time to research and study during the regular season. We’ll help you get prepared for the 2020-21 college basketball season so you can build your bankroll. Some beginners aren’t familiar with the basic workings of wagering. We’ll hit all of that below.

College Basketball betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate bettor or you’ve been wagering your whole life, when you bet college hoops, it’s all about limits. The best rule of thumb for better success is to select just a few conferences on which to focus. If you try to bet all 353 Division I teams, the only thing guarantee guaranteed is that you will lose. That’s too much, even for the pro cappers.

For beginners, focus on one or two conferences, intermediate bettors can handle up to three, and the long-term guys can expand their focus to four or five conferences. Know them inside and out, study the injury reports each week and follow trends and statistics closely. Long-term players might also want to keep a spreadsheet with results and trends, and try and develop a statistical system.

College Basketball betting: Key betting terms to know

Most college hoops bettors wager on the spread. You either take Team A or Team B to win with a point spread. You can also bet the moneyline, which is simply taking one team or the other to win outright, regardless of the margin. In addition, you can bet the Over/Under on the total number of points in a game.

If you choose to bet a parlay, you bet two or more different things, and each bet needs to win for you to cash a winning ticket. Generally, the odds are much better with the more bets you include in a parlay, but the risk rises with each addition to the ticket.

College Basketball betting: How do odds work?

Let’s say Michigan is favored by 7 1/2 points over Indiana with a total of 129 points. If you bet the favorite, you need Michigan to win by at least 8 points to cash. If you bet the underdog, you need Indiana to stay within 7 points in a loss, or win outright.

If you were to bet the Over, you would need a total of 130 or more points for a winning ticket. If you bet the Under, you would need 128 or fewer points for your bet to cash.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on the MLB for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around the MLB, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

In the single-game framework, baseball is the most unpredictable of the four American major professional sports. It’s also the most frequently played, with each MLB team playing generally 27 times per month for a six-month period from April to September. For the bettor, high frequency and unpredictability make for a great deal of excitement, whether betting a single-game outcome or season results. Below, we take a look at definitions of key sports betting terms and how odds work in the many ways to get a piece of MLB betting action.

MLB betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Single-game betting: Individual games are broken down into a moneyline, run line, or Over/Under. Bettors can back one of two sides of each line.
Live betting: Get action while the game is underway with lines adjusting almost constantly based on which team is winning or dominating play. In-game injuries and big early leads can drastically affect the lines and odds.
Alternate lines: When looking to bet on a game, it’s always wise to look at all of the available options on the alternate lines. These can offer either a greater profit margin or a higher probability of winning the bet.
Futures betting: Place bets in the offseason or at any point within a season by backing a team to win the World Series or the AL/NL pennant or their league, or to win a certain number of games. Player awards such as the league MVP or Cy Young Award are also available as futures. Odds are adjusted throughout the year based on team or player performance.
Prop bets: Get single-game action on in-game events, like total runs plus hits plus errors in a given inning, a yes/no on the game going into extra innings, or game firsts (strikeout, hit, home run, etc. …)

MLB betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: The team the market identifies as the most likely winner. Starting pitchers often play a role, here.
Underdog: Conversely, underdogs or dogs, are the team the market tags as most likely to lose.
Moneyline: The most common bet type – simply pick one side or the other to win the game. Moneylines typically look for a team to win a game, but five-inning and other lines can be found, each changing the end-point of the wager and the calculus of the odds.
Run line: The favorite is tagged with the stipulation of winning by a margin of -1.5 runs. With roughly a third of all MLB games decided by a single run, this wager type changes the odds – sometimes flipping a moneyline favorite to a run line underdog.
Total or Over/Under: A line set for how many combined runs will be scored in the game by the two teams. Can be a full game or a five-inning total for a single game or a component of a prop bet (example: Over/Under 17 total strikeouts in a game).
Push: A wager not won by either side. MLB games can’t end in a tie, but bets sometimes can (the Over/Under is the most common push in baseball betting).
Chalk: Referring to odds on heavy favorites. The odds are generally so low as to not be worth betting as the profit margin is too small to warrant the small risk.
Parlay: Combining two or more bet types from the same game or across multiple-game offerings. It increases the total odds, but they’re extremely risky as all plays need to be correct for a bet to win. The more bets included, the higher the payout, but the higher the risk.
Teaser: Buy or sell some runs on a run line or a total bet in order to get better odds or increase your chance of winning with lower odds.

MLB betting: How do odds work?

Baseball odds on the moneyline generally range from -250 to +250, but one of the lures of MLB betting is the preponderance of plays in the -175 to +175 range. The more even margins typically mean less of a takeout on the sportsbook end. A $10 bet at -150 would return a profit of $6.67 on a win. A $10 bet at +150 would return a profit of $15 on an upset win.

All bets are paid out shortly after a game finishes, with those funds being allowed to be placed on new bets or be withdrawn from the sportsbook.

First-time MLB bettors should note how expected pitchers (starting and otherwise) for a game can drastically change what the normal team-vs.-team odds would be in a vacuum. Recent trends, matchup histories, variable strengths and weaknesses based on pitcher handedness and venue, and injuries all play into how a game is priced. Finding small market inefficiencies can be profitable when plotted against a daily slate of 10 to 15 games each day.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Betting 101: How to bet on college football for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around college football, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

College football is arguably the best sport to bet because data is very accessible yet it’s hard for bookmakers to make sharp lines because there are just so many games. There are 130 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams and a typical Saturday slate of college football can include upward of 60 games. Even the sharpest sportsbooks—including BetMGM—have weak spots. Here’s a look at some of the options you have for cashing tickets on college football bets:

College football betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Futures: These wagers are for events decided well after the bet has been placed. A Futures bet in college football would be betting on who will win the 2021 College Football National Champion, Big Ten Conference, Heisman Trophy, etc. One of my favorite futures bets are Over/Under team win totals. As in, betting Over Clemson Tigers 11.5 regular-season wins (not an actual line, just an example).
Game sides: It’s the most common bet in sports. Which team do you like to win the game and, if necessary, by how many points? You can bet a team to win outright with a moneyline wager or for a team to cover the point spread, at BetMGM‘s listed odds.
Game totals: This is a wager on the final score of the game. For instance, you’d bet Over/Under 67.5 total points in USC Trojans at Oregon Ducks. The bettor takes either the Over or the Under on BetMGM‘s listed total. You can also look to bet team totals, which is the line set on how many points a single team is projected to put up. Back to our earlier example, Oregon’s mock team total would be 38 and USC’s is 29.5 for a total of 67.5. Which total would you take in our sample total line?
Prop bets: Here is where you wager on smaller occurrences during a college football game, like how many rushing yards a running back will have or an Over/Under for the longest passing play for a team. An example prop bet is “Over/Under 215.5 passing yards for Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence against the Virginia Tech Hokies.”
Live betting: BetMGM is listing live odds on the sides and totals throughout a college football game. If you feel like you’ve got the flow of a conference rivalry game down somewhere in the second quarter, make a live bet.
Parlay: One of the juicier bets, a parlay is a wager where two or more bets have to win for the ticket to cash. The more bets/teams/totals included in the parlay, the bigger the payout. Bettors like correlated parlays where you bet a team and a total to get a better payout. You could also rip off a four-team parlay by combining games in the 12 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET slots.

College football betting: Key betting terms to know

Moneyline: These are the odds set by BetMGM on a team to win the game straight up. The moneyline for the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship was LSU Tigers -228 and Clemson Tigers +185. A $228 wager on the LSU -228 moneyline earned a $100 profit when the Tigers beat Clemson, 42-25.
Point spread: The line, the points, the spread, the number are all other ways to refer to how many points a team needs to win by or cannot lose by. For example, if the Oklahoma Sooners are -6.5 at the Texas Longhorns then you can wager on Oklahoma and win if the Sooners win by seven or more points. If Texas stays within 6 points in a loss or wins outright, then its side of the bet would win and a bet on Oklahoma would be lost.
Over/Under: This could be used when discussing the total but also for player and game props or futures. It’s as simple as betting the Over or the Under on BetMGM‘s listed odds for let’s say the Pac-12 title game point total or 2020 passing yards for Ohio State QB Justin Fields as a season prop.
Push: Tie, chop, draw, Kiss Your Sister, whatever you want to call it. Sometimes a push feels like a miracle, sometimes it feels like a bad beat but it’s never a loss or a win. It’s just, meh. You get your money back, which I would bet on the Pac-12 Saturday night game.
Key numbers: Since touchdowns (seven) and field goals (three) are the most common increment of scores, those are also the biggest key numbers. Ten, 17, 24 are also in this group. You’ll hear “sharps” talk about key numbers in their handicaps—like betting favorites at -2.5 or -6.5 and betting underdogs at +3.5 or +7.5—so familiarize yourself with the lingo, and the math.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

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Betting 101: How to bet on the NHL for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around the NHL, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

Hockey is one of the most unpredictable of the major professional sports, and as such, betting on the NHL can add excitement to a game or a season. Below, we take a look at definitions of key sports betting terms and how odds work in the many ways to get a piece of NHL betting action.

NHL betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of today’s sports betting odds and lines.

Single-game betting: Individual games are broken down into a moneyline, against the spread or Over/Under, where bettors back one of two sides of a line.
Live betting: Get action while the game is underway with lines adjusting almost constantly based on which team is winning or dominating play. In-game injuries, particularly to a starting goaltender, can also drastically affect the lines and odds.
Alternate lines: When looking to bet on a game, it’s always wise to look at all of the available options on the alternate lines. These can offer either a greater profit margin or a higher probability of winning the bet.
Futures betting: Place bets in the offseason or at any point within a season by backing a team to win the Stanley Cup or their division or conference, or to win a certain amount of games. Player awards such as the Hart Trophy (MVP) or Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) are also available as futures. Odds are generally at their highest at the beginning of a season, and they’ll be adjusted throughout the year based on team or player performance.
Prop bets: Get single-game action on players by betting stars to score or not, or to record a certain number of a specified stat such as shots, hits or saves.

NHL betting: Key betting terms to know

Favorite: Generally the home team or the team with the better season record. Starting goalies and current injuries also weigh-in.
Underdog: Conversely, underdogs or dogs, will generally be the visitor or the team with the worse record.
Moneyline: The most common bet type, simply pick one side or the other to win the game. Moneylines typically look for a team to win the game at any point, but alternate lines are available to specify one side winning in regulation vs. in overtime or a shootout.
Spread/puck line: Get better value on favorites by backing them to win by two or more goals on a line of -1.5, or get some insurance on the underdogs by betting them to cover a line of +1.5 and either lose by one goal or win the game straight up.
Total or Over/Under: A line set for how many combined goals will be scored in the game by the two teams. Can be limited to regulation time or include a winning goal from overtime and a potential shootout.
Push: In some rare cases, totals or puck lines are set at an even number. The bet will be refunded if exactly that amount of goals are scored or if the line is covered by the exact number of goals.
Chalk: Referring to odds on heavy favorites. The odds are generally so low as to not be worth betting as the profit margin is too small to warrant the small risk.
Parlay: Combining two or more bet types from the same game or across multiple game offerings. It increases the total odds, but they’re extremely risky as all plays need to be correct for a bet to win. The more bets included, the higher the payout, but the higher the risk.
Teaser: Buy or sell some goals on a puck line or a total bet in order to get better odds or increase your chance of winning with lower odds.

NHL betting: How do odds work?

Hockey odds on the moneyline generally range from -250 to +250, but can extend in either direction in lopsided matchups. The -250 would represent a fairly heavy favorite and borders on a chalky play. A $10 bet would return a profit of just $4. A $10 bet at +250 on an underdog fetches a plus-money profit of $25 if they pull off the upset.

Even-money refers to odds of +100, where a $10 bet fetches a profit of $10. These lines are more frequently seen on puck lines or totals. The lower the odds, the more likely the result and the smaller the profit margin. Futures odds are typically at their most profitable before a season starts, but the odds can rise for a preseason favorite if it gets off to a slow start. It’s good to note preseason odds and track them as the season goes on.

All bets are paid out shortly after a game finishes, with those funds being allowed to be placed on new bets or be withdrawn from the sportsbook.

Get some sports betting action by placing a bet with BetMGM today. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

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Betting 101: How to bet on the NFL for beginners

Looking at the various sports betting options centered around the NFL, with betting advice, tips and definitions of key terms.

The NFL is the most popular league in America. And while watching the games are fun enough, one way to get more out of games is having a personal investment in the outcome. That is where betting comes in. Wagering on a game adds excitement and intrigue — while increasing the emotional interest because of the money involved. It is similar to fantasy football, except with the rooting interest being in the outcome, not players’ stats.

NFL betting: Ways to bet

Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list of sports betting odds and lines.

Futures betting: Wagering on an outcome beyond a single game result. The most common futures bets are Super Bowl champion, followed by conference/division champion, making the playoffs and regular-season win totals.
Single-game betting: Wagering on the outcome of a single game. It can be the straight outcome — which team wins outright. It can be against a point spread — whether a team wins or loses by a set number of points. Or it can be whether the combined point total goes Over or Under a predetermined number.
Prop bets: Wagering on individual occurrences or individual player acts or performances, such as whether a player will score two touchdowns in a game or who scores the first TD of the game.
Live betting: Bets made after a game starts. As the game goes on, the point spread and Over/Under total will change, as will odds of each team to win outright. If a team favored before the game falls behind early, they may become the underdog.

NFL betting: Key betting terms to know

Moneyline: This is betting for the outright winner of a game. The line is posted with a positive or negative number. A positive numbered line will profit more than the initial wager. Example: A line of +160 means that a $100 bet would profit $160. A negative number line profits less than the initial wager. Example: A line of -150 means one would have to bet $150 to profit $100 (getting $250 total — their original bet and the profit).
Point spread: This is essentially a handicap for one team. A team with a negative spread number must win by more than that amount. If the line is Cardinals -3.5, they must win by 4 points or more to win the bet. A positive spread (ex: Bengals +3.5) means one can win the bet if that team loses by less than that amount. Betting the Bengals +3.5 means the bet wins if they lose by 3 points or less, or if they win outright.
Over/Under: This is also referred to as the total. It is the line for the combined total points scored by the two teams. Often the lines are weighted. An Over/Under line of 45 (-120, +100) means one must bet 1.2-to-1 on the Over, while it’s an even-money bet (1-to-1) on the Under.
Push: This is when the point spread or point total is matched exactly. If the line has a half point, this can’t happen. If the line finishes in a push, all money is refunded. If the line was Cardinals -3 and they win by exactly 3 points, the bettor gets his money back.
Parlay: A combination of two or more bets in which all bets must win in order for the parlay to win; if any one bet loses the entire parlay loses. The benefit is a successful parlay pays more. Moneylines, point spreads and Over/Unders can be parlayed. Sportsbooks differ in payouts, but the average payoffs are:

PARLAY	PAYOUT
2-teamer	2.6 to 1
3-teamer	6 to 1
4-teamer	11 to 1
5-teamer	22 to 1
6-teamer	40 to 1
7-teamer	80 to 1
8-teamer	150 to 1

While they pay more than a straight bet, many consider these sucker bets. The sportsbooks make a lot of money on bettors’ losing parlay bets. Any bet that results in a push does not end the parlay; it is treated as if the game never happened. So a 4-team parlay with a push becomes a 3-team parlay and assumes 3-team odds.

NFL betting: How do odds work?

Odds are usually given in two styles. One is as a positive or negative number. The other is a ratio.

The positive and negative numbers were explained above, but what about ratios?

One might see 8/1 odds. This is the same as +800. A winning bet profits eight times the original bet. Odds with a smaller number on top (or first) are the same as a negative number. 2/5 odds mean every $5 wagered will profit $2 if the bet wins. The smaller the ratio is the more likely the expected outcome.

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