In case you have entered the betting arena without having a clear strategy in mind then you might emerge out as a very unhappy bettor, not to mention that you could also lose a lot of money at the same time. Just as a doctor would need the right skills before operating on a patient, you too must work hard to understand sports betting odds before making a killing in the betting arena.
Each exciting sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and several such more qualify for betting. Even when the sport is college football games handled by way of the ncaa or pro football handled by the nfl, bets can be placed, even though the odds will certainly differ in every sport and every game too. Odds are also displayed differently in various countries. For example, USA displays odds as American odds, i.e. -100, -230, etc, while Canada, Australia and European countries display odds as Decimal odds, i.e. 2.50, 1.30, etc, and the UK displays odds as Fractional odds, i.e. 8/8, 8/4, etc.
Sports betting odds also display the underdog team together with the top-dog, the over-under and the spread by which you need to win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will explain betting odds easily. For instance in an nfl match between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, the odds may be displayed as under
Buffalo Bills -11.2 -120 -160
New York Giants +11.2 -120 +270
The first sign near the teams name signifies the underdog and also the top-dog. Hence, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog due to the “-” sign while the Giants are the underdogs due to the “+” sign next to it. The figure 11.2 indicates the spread plus the favored team has to win with the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 implies that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The last figure of 160 next to the Bills indicates that you need to stake $160 to win $100 together with your stake on that bet since the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. On the other hand, you simply need to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet on the Giants as it is the underdog team.
The above was an example of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie will display odds in numerous formats however, you would be able to quickly convert it in your format when using the odds converter available in most websites. The Internet has today definitely made betting easier even though you will certainly have to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds prior to placing your bet.
You might definitely be in a position to bet efficiently and convert most of your placed bets into huge wins if you read and understand sports betting odds. Each sports book displays odds and you will have to choose sites which have the best odds that you can bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is vital if you wish to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the highest number of bets.