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Betting Guide
Welcome to the Sports Betting for Dummies Guide section of the site.
Not that I think you are a dummy or anything like that. Far from it. However (1) it’s just a common term to use, and (2) it keeps me in check writing articles. I make sure to dumb it down enough so that everyone can understand it. Even if you’ve never bet before or have no idea what accumulators, trixies, each-way bets are etc – by reminding myself that this section is “sports betting for dummies” it means I assume nothing, and lay it out so that it’s very easy to understand.
I’ve been betting sports online and offline since 1996. That’s a long time. Over the years I have learned so much from sports betting and so now I get to share that knowledge to you.
This section is going to cover all of the basics of sports betting and get into the more advanced stuff too. There’s a lot of stuff out there to cover and I aim to have the most comprehensive guide to sports betting online.
Let’s get to it:
Where To Bet Sports Online:
So within the site I have this section based on sports. The best place to bet hockey online is not the best place to bet soccer online. The best place to bet NFL online doesn’t even offer WWE wrestling odds so they have to be different sportsbooks recommended etc.
For this section I’m going to quickly recommend the best sportsbooks online for beginners. Depending on the country you live in, these are the best sportsbooks to bet at for a variety of reasons including odds, bonus, rewards and most importantly – ease of use. As some online sportsbooks can be very confusing to use or complicated.
America: The best online sportsbook for beginners is GT Bets. They offer all of the main sports and they just have a nice and basic layout. It’s very easy to use and understand and not complicated at all. They also offer some great promotions such as the “my favourite team” promo where you get to choose your favourite team in the NFL or NBA, and you get a better point spread for them all season long.
Canada: Without a shadow of a doubt it’s Sports Interaction. They’ve been in business for decades, are the only actual legal sportsbook in Canada, and are 100% Canadian only. They’re from Canada, and they only take Canadian players. That’s important in terms of getting the best out of them and if you are a Canadian, this is your one stop shop for all betting.
Everywhere Else: I have to go with Bet365 Sportsbook. I’d trust them with my life savings. They also have by far the best interface any online sportsbook offers in my opinion. As a serious sports better I have accounts at over 20 sportsbooks where I go with the best odds, but if I am placing a casual bet I always go with Bet365 due to their better interface.
Different Types of Bets:
Accumulators: Accumulators are always fun. Who doesn’t want to risk $5 to win $15,000? This article explains exactly how accumulators work, what to look out for when betting them, and the best online sportsbooks to bet accumulators at.
Doubles: It’s hard risking $100 to win $30 on Liverpool or the Patriots to win. However what if you can double that bet up with another heavy favourite AND get better odds on it than if you bet the two separately. In this article I cover doubles betting which is commonly used when betting on two decent favourites.
Month by Month
In this guide, I go month by month and list what sports you can normally bet in a particular month.
October: A very busy month in sports. Most notable is the World Series, and then of course you have the return of NHL and NBA. All the soccer leagues are going too. Great time to be a sports fan.
November: November is big for the NFL with the Thanksgiving games. Golf starts to wrap things up for the winter break, and the F1 finishes for the year. WWE has Survivor Series, and the UEFA Champions League normally wraps up around this time.
December: A lot of events off such as golf, and then soccer leagues have a Winter break. But it’s a big month for NFL and college football, plus hockey on the go most days. Then the annual NBA Christmas Day games which is when the season truly begins.
How to Bet Sports Online
This section gives a brief overview of how to bet sports online at the aforementioned sportsbooks – a quick step by step beginners guide to betting online:
GT Bets: The homepage of the sportsbook lists the most popular sports in the center and then on the left is a sidebar listing the sports by category. When you click a category ie “Basketball” it will expand to show more categories such as “NBA” or “Australia – NBL”. When you click on one it will update the main section. It presents the potential bets for a game and above each game is “More Bets” which you can click to see more bets available for that game. At the top there is also the option of different bets as well ie: 1st half bets etc.
Anyway to place a bet, click on the selection you want ie: Boston -9. That adds it to the right hand side under “Bet Slip”. You then choose the amount you wish to risk by typing it in the box, and it will tell you how much you wish to win. Next click “Review Bet” to review the bet you placed then finally click to place the bet.
Sports Interaction: In the main center of the site will be the most popular current bets. You can visit a specific category by using the navigation menu. That will expand with a list of available leagues within that sport. each game usually has more bets and the top right of each game will list the potential bets. When you select a bet you will click on it ie click on the box stating “Everton FC 2.32”. That adds it to the right hand side under “Bet Card” and then you enter your stake which is the amount you wish to bet. It tells you what your payout will be for that bet then simply click “Place Bet”.
Bet365 Sportsbook: The homepage will be a bit overwhelming as there will be a variety of bets listed. This will include bets that are live – where the games are in progress and you can bet – and then popular competitions based on your geographic region. You can click on whatever you want to bet from there or use the navigation menu. When you click on that it will list the competitions in the green header bar, and then the bets available within that competition just below it. When you click on one it iwll list the basic bets available. In NHL for example it will be who will win, the game total and point spread. On the right hand side of this is a number and an arrow – click that to see all bets available for that game such as player props etc.
When there is a bet you wish to make, simply click on it and it will be added to your bet slip on the right. Put in the amount you wish to “Risk” and then it will tell you your return. Simply click “Place Bet” to place the bet. You can also use this section to see a list of your current bets, and cash out if you so wish.
Common Sports Betting Beginner Questions:
What should I do if a sportsbook has graded my bet incorrectly or a sportsbook is not giving me my money?
See my article on Where To Complain About A Sportsbook or Casino, and what to do if you are having issues.
What does cashing out a bet mean?:
Some online sportsbooks, such as Bet365 Sportsbook, allow you to “cash out” a bet prior to its conclusion. Let’s say you bet on Newcastle to beat Man City, $100 to win $1800. Newcastle are up 1-0 with about 5 minutes to go but you are wary of Manchester City coming back and scoring (as you should be). You can choose to “cash out” the bet and they will offer you a price for cashing out. Sort of like “Deal or No Deal”.
The odds won’t be as good as if you wait until the end of the game, and it depends vastly on the teams. For example for that bet with 5 minutes to go, cash out odds would be something like cash out for $900, as opposed to $1800 due to the chances Man City have for winning.
It can vary based on the bet and the teams involved however. If you bet Man City to win $100 to profit $33, and Man City go up 2-0 early you’ll be able to cash that out for something like $31.20.
