Prop Betting Tips and Advice
In today's world, patience is a virtue that very few people have left in them. We live in a world with lightning-quick internet, instant messaging and in a world where fast food reigns supreme. People love getting instant gratification. In the sports betting world, that also holds true. It's one thing to sit through a 3.5-hour football game between two mediocre teams only to suffer a bad beat on a completely meaningless last-minute touchdown that does nothing but affect the point spread and burn your ticket. Instead, many bettors would rather bet several proposition bets on a game and find out the fate of their bets within 10-15 minutes of game time. This instant gratification gives bettors a higher sense of euphoria than watching two teams struggle to score points in a sloppy, turnover-infested 10-7 game where the spreads and total weren't ever in question.
The Concept of a Prop Bet
A prop bet is a bet that is not dependent on the outcome of a specific
game. Instead, on the most basic level, a prop bet is a bet on whether or
not a particular event is going to happen during a specific sporting
contest. For example, if you are a baseball bettor, two popular prop bets
available to bettors every night are: 'which team will score the first
run,' or my personal favorite 'will there be a run scored in the first
inning?' - "yes" or "no".
Prop bets are commonplace in just about every sport you can bet on since linemakers are willing to set odds on just about anything the betting public has interest in. Prop bets can pertain to both teams or individual players and can sometimes span an entire season, like the number of home runs or RBIs a player will hit during the season.
Prop bets are also a big part of the online sportsbook scene where you can
find lines on such things like entertainment (think "American Idol") and
world politics. If linemakers can set reasonably-priced odds and the
outcome isn't predetermined or known by anyone in advance, there is a very
good chance that you can find a prop bet to wager on at one of the many
sportsbook available online.
Are Prop Bets Sucker Bets?
The biggest problem for bettors who love to wager on these prop bets is that they get sucked in with the potential of a quick win. Take the 'will a run be scored in the first inning' prop bet, for example. This bet could be settled in one minute or 10 minutes depending on what transpires in the first inning. Many bettors love that quick decision as it allows them to place more bets during the course of the night. Unfortunately, prop bets can often seem simpler than they really are. The best example I can give you is the classic coin toss prop during the Super Bowl. It's about as simple as you can get - pick heads or tails and hope for the best. The problem with this 50/50 bet is that both sides are typically priced at -105 or worse. Over the long run, paying worse than even money for a 50/50 prop will destroy your bankroll quicker than you can imagine. Also, why would you want to bet on a prop that you have absolutely no control over? At least if you bet other props such as first touchdown scorer or team to score first, you can game plan on how you think the game will start out and make a much more educated guess based on stats and matchups.
Prop Bet Betting Tips
I wouldn't go as far as to say that all prop bets are sucker bets, but as a bettor you need to be a bit cautious and due your research before investing your money into a prop bet. The thing with prop bets is that sportsbooks love to charge extra vig, so your winning percent must be high if you plan on turning a profit.
One thing I tend to look for when betting on individual player props is a player's game log for the past 10 games. This will give you a good indication on how he has played over the course of the past two weeks and whether he's in form or struggling to find a rhythm. Another important thing to keep track of is any inflated lines you might come across. For example, popular NBA players will often see their "point total" prop inflated just because the casual bettor knows those players and will side with the "over" nine times out of 10. Identifying and exploiting an inflated line is a great way to increase your winning percentage and bankroll.
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