If you have entered the betting arena without a clear strategy in mind then you might emerge out as a very disappointed bettor, not to mention that you might also lose a lot of money in the process. Just like a doctor would need the right skills before operating over a patient, you too must work hard in understanding sports betting odds before making a killing inside the betting arena.
Each fascinating sport such as boxing, tennis, golf, baseball, football, basketball, horse racing, car racing, and many such more are eligible for betting. Even if the sport is college football handled by the ncaa or pro football handled by the nfl, bets may be placed, although the odds will surely differ in each sport and each 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 also the UK displays odds as Fractional odds, i.e. 8/8, 8/4, etc.
Sports betting odds also display the underdog team along with the top-dog, the over-under and also the spread by which you must win if you choose to bet for or against the spread. A simple example will show you betting odds easily. For example in a 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 next to the teams name signifies the underdog and also the top-dog. Therefore, Buffalo Bills would be the top-dog due to the “-” sign whereas the Giants would be the underdogs due to the “+” sign beside it. The figure 11.2 signifies the spread and the favored team has got to win with the points mentioned on the spread. The figure 120 means that you will have to bet $120 to win $100 on that spread. The last figure of 160 near the Bills indicates that you have 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 only have to bet $100 to win $270 if you bet for the Giants as it is the underdog team.
The above mentined was an illustration of betting odds in the American odds format. Each bookie displays 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 definitely have to work on understanding and calculating the betting odds before you place your bet.
You might certainly be able to bet efficiently and convert most of your placed bets into huge wins if you read and understand sports betting odds. Each sports book will display odds and you will have to choose sites which have the best odds for you to bet on. Understanding sports betting odds is essential if you wish to beat the odds and also the bookies and make a killing by winning the maximum number of bets.