When it comes to sports betting, the most popular wager will always be the point spread. You get good odds. You get some points to play with. Plus, handicapping is a skill that can be easily learned and exploited for financial gain. Sure, these are all fine reasons to play the point spread. However, the moneyline wager is there for a reason and should not be overlooked as a viable bet. The most important aspect of sports betting is picking the winner, after all, and that’s all the moneyline wager is: picking winners. Here, we will look at a few reasons for you to consider the moneyline wager more often than you do now. Everyone likes easy money, and certain moneyline wagers can provide just that.
Point Spreads Aren’t Handicapping, Moneylines aren’t Odds
Before you begin sports gambling in any way, it’s important to know a few things about how oddsmakers get to the numbers they place on each game. There are many misconceptions about points spreads and moneylines to say the least. Simply put, the point spreads aren’t handicapping, and the moneylines aren’t odds. These numbers are there only to get you to wager. They are there to entice and are formed by a collusive effort by the major sportsbooks. If a team is a four-point favorite, it’s not because oddsmakers ran all the numbers and considered all the history to determine them to be four points better. It’s because they ran all the numbers and considered all the history to determine they can receive more action at the number four than, say, the number 5. The same goes for moneylines. If a team is a three to one favorite or -300, it does not mean they are three times better than the underdog. It’s an arbitrary value placed on the game to make money, not to make the “odds” even out. This may seem pointless knowledge, but knowing this can inform your wagers, especially when playing the moneyline.
Basic Bet
The moneyline is the most basic bet on the big board. You pick the winner, and that’s it. The odds will vary wildly from team to team, game to game. Favorites are listed with the (-) in front of their number while underdogs have the (+) in front of their number and these are the odds. Again, this number is simply there to tell you the payout; they are not based on any kind of handicapping. The key when playing the moneyline is to find the most value in the wager. A favorite at -1000 is a heavy favorite. However, you’d have to bet $1000 to win $100. This is too much of a risk with not enough reward. When playing the moneyline you need to look for the games as close to EVEN money as you can find. This way your risk is rewarded.
Great for Parlays
Parlay wagers have a bad reputation with many sports gamblers. They are often thought of as sucker bets and not much better than prop bets. However, when played correctly, parlaying on the moneyline is a great option with tons of value. For instance, picking three heavy favorites on the moneyline, just two or three, will get your odds closer to EVEN. Three favorites playing at home may read as -350 each. However, if you parlay all three together, your odds will be right around EVEN money, and you have three favorites at home in your pocket. Keep the parlays small and on the moneyline, and you’ll see solid returns on your value.
Upsets Happen
Sports gamblers love the favorites. No matter what. They love them giving the point spread. They love them on the moneyline. Everyone knows this, and no one knows this more than the oddsmakers. With this information in their back pocket, they will set the lines accordingly, and this leads to the points favorites are giving to be a little higher than they should be on the point spread. However, it will also make the payout for underdogs on the moneyline a little bit higher. Upsets happen all the time in every sport and finding them on the moneyline can be very profitable. When gambling on the moneyline, don’t just look at the numbers, know the teams you are betting on. Being able to pick a few upsets will pay you out at a much higher rate due to the oddsmakers bias.
Live Betting Option
“Live betting” or “live wagering” is a very popular new option available on just about every online sports gambling site you can find these days, and they are perfect opportunities to wager on the moneyline. The live betting option allows you to place a wager at any point in a game, even well after tip-off. The odds will update as the game goes on and this is where you can find good value on moneyline. Being able to see the momentum of a game coming down the stretch with the moneyline wager available can be a very valuable bet.
