24 best sports betting sites ✔️ top bookmakers 2024

What types of bets are there?

Online sports betting means that you can move around and choose from dozens of odds coefficients and even wagering markets and bet types. Before we jump to the odds, though, it may benefit you to know a little more about the types of bets. There are usually two ways to look at them, such as sports specific and general bets that will be most likely available in every sport.

So, let's take it from the top. There are many possible types of bets out there. The main ones you should probably start with are:

• Win – The simplest is a Win bet, a bet you place on the winner of a game, match, or race. Of course, you are only trying to predict the winner, not bet after the fact. The Win bet may have other names as well. For example, in some parts of the world, it's called a Moneyline.
• Totals (Over/Under) – Then you have a Totals or Under/Over bet. In this type of situation, you are betting not so much on who wins but how many points the teams will score together and whether this amount will be under or over a certain level.
• Point spread – Next, you have the Point spread. That is an interesting type of bet, and it's very popular as well. The way it works is rather simple. You bet on a sort of a handicap whereby one team will get the points in the Point spread added to their final score, and the other team would get those points detracted. So, if you bet on the Portland Trailblazers winning +7.5 versus the Golden State Warriors, you are betting that the Trailblazers will be within 7.5 points of the Golden State Warriors. So, if the end score is 113-120 in favor of the Warriors, you still win your bet because 113+7.5 = 120.5.

Other bets to consider

Naturally, that is not the only type of bet you may place. Many other options exist, and they cover a variety of sports. For example, you have your accumulators, propositions, and in-play.

Accumulators are placed on multiple selections, usually at least two, but most often three or more. The logic here is that while your odds to win get slimmer as you add more selections, your potential payout increases exponentially.

Propositions are a unique market where each sportsbook or bookmaker will choose how to condition the selection. You may be asked to guess how many yards a quarterback in the NFL is going to clock in or how many points an English Premier League player will score in a game.

That brings us to the third type of market, the so-called in-play or live wagering. These markets are some of the most fun, but they also require a lot of skill, attention to detail, and knowledge of the game or sport you are watching.

In-play odds change rapidly in real-time with little room for error, which is exciting and precisely what sports fans worldwide want to see. There are more wager types to explore, including Place. A Place means that you are betting on your horse to finish no worse than second in a horse race.

Similarly, there is the Each Way bet where you argue that your horse will either win the race or finish no worse than second. With a Single bet, you bet on one individual outcome of the event, and if you want to kick things up a notch, you can use the Multipliers, whether they are Double, Treble or more. These types of bets ask you to make multiple selections and wager on them, and get a chance to win much bigger rewards.

Betting bonuses

There are many betting bonuses out there, and they are all designed with a simple purpose in mind – helping sports fans get ahead in the game. To leverage these bonuses with success and use them smartly, you will need to know what they have to offer and how you can make the most out of that.

The simplest bonus to claim is the so-called sign-up offer. It's usually available at every sportsbook and can range from 100 to 1000 or more units. Each bookie will offer you a different match rate, but that is usually 100% or 250%, which is calculated off a small deposit, anything from 5 units to 20 units to qualify for this type of bonus.

Such bonuses, and most betting promotions for that matter, come with special terms and conditions known as "wagering requirements." The idea here is that no matter how much you claim of the bonus money, you will still have to wager that bonus at least one time (1x wagering requirement).

It's possible for some promotions to expect you to wager even more, but that is down to the bookie to decide in most cases. The sign-up offers are not the only ones you can get. In fact, many sportsbooks offer other options, such as risk-free wagers.

In this scenario, you will place a wager of up to 50 units, for example. If you lose your wager, the sportsbook will restore it automatically and give you another chance to bet. This type of promo is actually very popular, and you will definitely have nothing to worry about.

Another popular option that will add a lot of value to your gameplay is the cashback offer, where you will always get some money back on your losing bets. Yes, losing is not an attractive prospect, but you will have a bad beat on occasion, so why not make the most of it with a cashback offer?

Football Betting ⚽

Football is without a doubt the world's most popular sport, and as such, you will find yourself excited to know that there are plenty of opportunities for you to place a well-thought-out wager. The world is full of great competitions that create many opportunities for competitive markets, which will help you leverage your knowledge of the sport.

The seasons usually run from the fall through early in the summer, and you will have numerous options to try, including but not limited to the English Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue A, Serie A, LaLiga, and more.

UEFA Champions League is a perpetual source of betting action, and so are many other events. Euro and Copa are two other high-profile competitions to consider, and then you have the World Cup, which is yet another outstanding opportunity for you to check out what wagers are available.

You can bet on outright winners, place a future, or wait for a game to start so that you can place an in-play bet instead and make the most out of the experience. There are even more leagues to bet on as many of the main powerhouses in the world also have Second Division Leagues, which are still very competitive and could prove a great opportunity for you to place a bet.

The world is full of localized competitions in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and North America, and if you are truly looking for a lot of betting action, you will definitely find worthwhile options in football.

Cricket betting 🏏

Cricket may appear a bit like a niche sport, but Oceania, India, and Pakistan are huge fans, and understandably, they have a bit of a monopoly on the most significant events in this sport. In other words, you will find many reasons to want to follow the competitive cricket scene in these regions as it would quickly provide you with the necessary information to understand better what betting markets work and what may be best left out.

Cricket is definitely a specialized sport, too, so you will need to cultivate your knowledge of the game and the competitive scene over the years with unflagging precision and dedication. Cricket markets are usually available from the early spring through the fall, and they provide you with extensive wagering coverage and opportunities.

There are hundreds of possible markets ranging from match winners to tournament champions to proposition bets and even in-play selections. Cricket also invites some unique bets that are popular among bettors. For those of you looking forward to the most significant events, there are quite a few to pick from, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, Ashes Series, and so many others.

Sports like cricket have some specialized and popular wagers. While you still have over/under, you get many exclusive ones such as the method of dismissal, most run-outs, toss combination, odd/even runs, and others.

Election Betting Odds

Election betting is not supported by every bookmaker, but the most significant international players would never miss the opportunity to run such lines. Election wagering is a long-term form of wagering, and it's one that depends on many factors. Some of the most heated presidential debates have been between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump and then Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

While political betting has always had a part to play, nothing has quite pushed the total betting handle as much as the participation of Donald Trump in politics. Bookies from all over the world have been running all sorts of markets to make sure that they get in on the handle.

If you are keen on betting on the election, though, you will find out that there are many viable opportunities to do just that. Bettors who follow politics can definitely explore these markets as a viable opportunity to place a bet. But what markets are there really?

Outside of the US Presidential Election, there are a few other events that draw the same attention. However, more controversial regimes, such as North Korea and even Russia, often spur a bit of excitement at the bookies. Is Vladimir Putin going to step down as president of the Russian Federation? Is the Chinese Communist Party going to elect a new President?

Of course, these are more of proposition bets, and the most popular election betting odds have to do with presidential runs in Europe, North and South America. However, bookies will make sure to cover every important electoral run!

NBA betting lines 🏀

So far as basketball goes, the NBA is the crowning championship that is watched by fans from all over the world. Players are tuning in to watch the entire season and playoffs, which are distributed globally by numerous telecommunications companies and broadcasters who are keen on getting the action direct to fans. The NBA has cultivated a strong interest from viewership which is growing on all continents, with people interested in following both the Eastern and Western Conferences and rooting for teams that they may not be associated with in any way.

The popularity of the National Basketball Association has allowed it to quickly progress as one of the most significant sports wagering events, too. The games played in a single week allow people enough action to follow and enjoy, whether they are casual or hardcore bettors. NBA's season runs from the fall through late spring, covering a broad time window that makes it possible for many sports fans to place a wager. As you can expect, the markets are quite busy but also very accessible.

You will have immediate access to a variety of viable betting opportunities such as Moneyline, Totals, Spreads, and in-play betting options if you are inclined to place a wager in real-time and see if you can extra maximum value. The conferences and playoffs are filled with interesting rivalries, with players giving their best to perform better and bring their team one step closer to victory. Debacles are not very common in the NBA, and unlike the NFL, where the final game is usually a bit one-sided, the five or 7-series finals in the NBA will have you in suspense and have two evenly-matched teams vying for the title.

In betting terms, there is a lot of value to get out of the competition. Whether you are betting on regular games or on the final series, you will always find yourself in a good position to find a value betting market and place your wagers on it.

College Football Betting Lines 🏉

College football betting is quite a bit. In fact, it's so big that in many places in North America, these markets are now completely legal to help jurisdictions retain some of the revenue that is otherwise going to competitors' for the lack of betting options closer to home.

One of the places where college football truly shines is the United States, where the sport is so popular that it's played professionally, even on a school level. Many universities field their teams and try to win the College Bowls, special events that attract a fair bit of interest from fans and a strong betting handle.

Played in a regular season as well as playoffs and a final showdown, the college betting action attracts action from all over the world. However, before you can place your first bets on any college game, you will need to be familiar with the stronger conferences.

College football is split into conferences and divisions in North America and the USA in particular. Historically, Big 12, Atlantic Coastal, and Pac-12 seem to be the strongest ones. Of course, you can also explore college football around the world and bet on it, but nothing quite rivals the games that take place in the above conferences.

Familiarity with each school and their football experience will help guide your bets and make the right calls. Some games you will want not to bet on, but others will be a must-bet.

Overall, college football betting is very dynamic because schools replenish their talent pool annually, and this means many people try to make it into professional football.

Most bettors will usually have heard about the promising prospects by the new season, but there are some silent prospects to watch out for as well.

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