Sports Betting Guide

A quick introduction to the basics of betting on sports.

Introduction

We'll teach you everything you need to start placing bets, from the key terms to finding the best odds. We'll help you bet intelligently from the start, and once you're ready, we'll find the best sportsbook for you!

What is Sports Betting?

Sports betting is all about predicting results and placing wagers on the outcome. The potential winnings are determined by the odds provided by the sportsbook.

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Key Terms

Money Line

The Money Line is the simplest bet: you're just picking the winning team. Each team will pay out differently, so pay attention to the odds before placing your bet.

Point Spread

A bet on the margin of victory in a game. The stronger team or player will be favored by a certain number of points, depending on the perceived gap in ability between the two teams.

Futures

A bet on events that will happen further in the future like who will win a division or who will win a championship well in advance.

Parlays

A single bet that links together two or more individual wagers and is dependent on all of those wagers winning together.

Proposition (Prop) Bets

This is a wager that isn't directly tied to the final score or outcome of a game, like Heads or Tail on the coin flip, or the color of the Gatorade poured on the winning coach.


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21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling for help.