Betting on sports in bookmakers: the most-popular markets in the action lines of top disciplines
Year by year the popularity of bookmaker’s offices keeps growing. The transition to an online mode of operation has played a huge role in the popularization of betting companies. Now, in order to place a bet on sports, a bettor does not need to go to a land-based betting shop, as it was required quite recently. Bookmakers also conduct smart PR campaigns. The names of the offices can be seen at the outfit of famous sports brands and online on the banners of various websites.
The procedure of earning in a betting company looks very simple. The bettor bets on one of the proposed outcomes of a sporting event and, in the case of a correct choice, receive a certain income. However, in practice, it is not that simple. The fact is that sensations regularly occur in any sporting discipline. If it were not so, bookmakers would be constantly working at a loss. As it is, bookmakers make a handsome profit when bettors lose bets that seemed to be 100% passable.
To help gambling enthusiasts avoid being hostages of sensations in sport and, as a consequence, financial losses, Scores24 offers daily, current, and absolutely free sports predictions prepared by professional analysts.
What criteria an expert takes into account when making a sports prediction
In order to write the most objective and passable recommendation on types of bet to be placed in a bookmaker’s office for a particular match, the experts of Scores24 process a large array of statistical data, including both direct and indirect factors that can affect the outcome of the event:
| Current physical fitness | The results of the last matches and the position of the teams/athletes in the standings. Also, it is taken into account whether the betting object is on an emotional uplift because of a series of successful results or whether the team/player is in crisis because of several consecutive failures. |
| Statistics | How productive is the performance; and whether the team/athlete allows the opponents to be productive. For example, how many goals were scored and conceded by a soccer team in a certain period of time? |
| Squad | This criterion is relevant to team sports. When analyzing, attention is paid to the number of injured and disqualified players from the main roster. If the losses are significant, the strength of the substitutes is analyzed |
| Schedule | Frequency of performances, which affects the endurance of teams/athletes |
| Motivation | Let’s take a soccer example: Manchester City faces Aston Villa in the English Premier League three days before the Champions League semifinals. They have a five-point lead in the APL over their nearest pursuer, while they have yet to gain the advantage in the Champions League. Obviously, Pep Guardiola will sacrifice the match against Aston Villa by fielding the reserves. |
| Home-field advantage | How important the support of the home fans on their field is for the home team, and how much the pressure of opponent’s stands affects the confidence of guests |
| Fitness of key players | When it comes to a team sport, the results of battles depend largely on the key players. If a key performer has just recovered from a serious injury or has had an unpleasant event in his life, it will affect his performance. |
| Change of the coach | After a change of coach, the team can either fail or produce a super match. In the first case, it is possible that the new coach and his team will not manage to find understanding with each other in a short period of cooperation. In the second case, the players may perform as if it was the match of a lifetime to show their skills to the coach and win a spot in the main roster. |
What to bet on in a bookmaker’s office
When the analytical work is done and certain conclusions about the sporting event are confirmed by the facts, then it remains to pay attention to the action line offered by the betting shop and choose a market for betting.
The most popular types of bets at bookmakers include:
- The bettor determines what outcome the meeting will end with: a victory of the first team, a victory of the second team, or a draw. The outcome has a safer option – double chance. This type of betting enables bettors to place bets on two passable outcomes at once: the first team wins or ties a draw, the second team wins or ties a draw, one of the teams wins or draws.
- The total in sports betting means an indicator of the performance of teams or athletes (goals scored in soccer, goals scored in hockey, points scored in basketball, etc.), which must be exceeded or not. For example, a total over 2 on the team in soccer would mean that the bettor’s bet will be successful if the team scores more than two goals in a match. The total under has the opposite meaning. In the case of TU2, you need the team to score less than two goals.
- The handicap in sports betting refers to a conventional advantage or disadvantage of one of the participants in the bet. A handicap can be plus (to hold) and minus (to win back). For example, H(+2) means that one of the teams in a soccer match starts the game with a notional advantage of two goals. For the bettor’s bet to be successful, the betting object must win, draw, or concede with a difference of two goals or less. With H(-2), the betting object must win with a difference of three or more goals.
- The author of the first effective action. The bettor predicts which soccer team will score first. Or which basketball team will score first in the opponent’s basket.
- The winner of a segment of a game. For instance, who wins the first half in soccer, the first quarter in basketball, the first period in hockey, the first game/set in tennis, etc.
- Long-term bets. Betting on the winners of tournaments before they start. For example, the new APL season will start in a few days, and bookmakers are already offering to bet on its winner. Despite the popularity of this type of bet, not every office offers it in its listings.
Conclusion
Predictions from Scores24 provide bettors with recommendations on a wide range of betting. Experts rarely offer to bet on the outcome. Much more often there are predictions on total and handicaps, both team-specific and individual ones.
