In case you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy under consideration then you could emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, plus you could also lose a ton of money in the process. Just as a doctor would require the right skills before operating over a patient, you also must work tirelessly to understand sports betting odds before you make a killing in the betting arena.
Each fascinating sport including boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and several such more qualify for betting. Even if the sport is college football games handled by the ncaa or pro football handled by the nfl, bets can be placed, although the odds will surely differ in each sport and each game too. Odds are also displayed differently in various countries. By way of 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 also 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 through which you must win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A straightforward example will explain betting odds easily. For example in an nfl match involving the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants, the odds could 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 the top-dog. Therefore, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog because of the “-” sign while the Giants would be the underdogs because of the “+” sign next to it. The figure 11.2 signifies the spread plus the favored team has to win with the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 implies that you will need to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The final figure of 160 next to the Bills indicates that you need to stake $160 to win $100 together with your stake on that bet because the Bills are classified as the favored team to win. Alternatively, you only need to bet $100 to win $270 should you bet for the Giants since it is the underdog team.
The above mentined was an example of betting odds from the American odds format. Each bookie will display odds in different formats however, you could quickly convert it in your format when using the odds converter available in most websites. The world wide web has today definitely made betting easier even though you will certainly have to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.
You will certainly 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 select sites which have the best odds that you can bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is essential if you want to beat the odds and the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum amount of bets.