The 4 Most Common Bet Types in Sports Betting

July 13, 2022

Sports betting in the US received a huge shot in the arm following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). The federal ruling scrapped PASPA in 2018, effectively bringing an end to the prohibition of legal sports betting nationwide. Ever since individual US states have been regulating and licensing their own sports betting markets. The number of active online sportsbook operators in the US continues to rise. According to OddsChecker, there are at least 20 major sites live, each of which has welcome promotions for new customers to claim during this period of rapid expansion for the industry.

If you’re new to the concept of betting on major league sports, we’ve put together a quartet of popular markets for you to try when wagering on your favorite leagues.

Table of Contents

Outright Markets

Outright wagers are some of the easiest sports bets to make online. Outright betting is a straight back of a team or player to win an outright match or tournament. Gridiron fans can bet on the Super Bowl outright market to speculate on the next winner of the Lombardi Trophy. Soccer fans can bet on the World Cup outright market to predict the next winner of the FIFA World Cup. The good news is that outright markets exist once the match or tournament is underway. The prices fluctuate more readily when the event is “in-play” so this is something to bear in mind.

Draw No Bet Markets

Draw No Bet markets are aimed at sports where a game can end in a tie. In this instance, Draw No Bet removes the potential for a tie. There are only two outcomes available to bet on in this market – Team A to win or Team B to win. In the event of a tie, your bet is void and your stake is refunded immediately to your betting balance. It’s a useful market to wager on, particularly if you have a strong feeling that one team will outperform another.

Handicap Markets

Handicap markets are also incredibly popular for major league sports in North America. Essentially, handicap markets give pre-game underdogs a “head start”. This head start is known in the sports betting industry as the point “spread”. If the pre-game favorite wins by a margin greater than the pre-game underdog’s spread, the favorite “beats the spread”. Handicap markets attempt to level the playing field and give bettors the chance to find better value on pre-game favorites.

Over/Under Markets

Over/Under markets are typically offered by online sportsbooks across a host of major league sports. Over/Under markets focus on how many times something will occur during a game. In NFL betting, there may be Over/Under markets based on how many touchdowns will be scored in an upcoming contest. In soccer betting, you can bet on a game to be “Over” or “Under” a set number of goals in the game. In baseball betting, you can bet on how many home runs will be scored in an innings – the sportsbooks will usually set a benchmark and you can decide if it will be “Over” or “Under” this figure.

These four sports betting markets should give you plenty to work with before you tackle some of the more exotic bet types that allow you to channel your expert sports knowledge to good effect.