An Overview about Straight Bets

Straight bet is a term used in the sport betting industry. When you engage into sports betting or wagering, you will encounter other terms such as ‘pick a team’ or ‘sides’. This means to say that you will be betting on a particular team such as those in basketball or football.

How Straight Bets Work

The typical straight bet involves the bettor’s selection of the so-called ‘underdog’ or favorite team in a particular game. Upon making a choice, he would risk -110 odds. If you are just a novice in this field, this simply means that the bettor will wage $110 in order to win $100. This scheme can also be applied in small recreational betting activities; therefore bets can come as low as $11 in order to win $10. Using this as a template, you can also risk for other amounts such as $33 to be able to win $30 or $44 to win $40. Any amount is just acceptable for straight betting.

Use of the Sportsbook

When betting online, some bettors utilize the so-called ‘Sportsbooks’. By using this platform, bettors can enjoy ‘Vig betting’ where the betting cost is reduced to a smaller amount. This depends on the straight bets odds that the Sportsbook is giving. For example, a bettor can enjoy a discount of -105 if the football bet is done on a Tuesday. To apply this policy, bettor shall lay $10.50 to win $10. This is considered a generous discount especially for ‘Highrollers’.

Below is a sample wagering matchup:

Indianapolis Colts -7 -110

Pittsburgh Steelers +7 -110

In order to understand these figures given, here is an explanation. If you are betting for the Steelers, you will be getting free 7 points considering that you are an underdog. On the other hand, if you were betting for the Colts, you would be laying 7 points. Therefore, whatever team you choose, a risk of $11 will possibly make you win $10.

Understanding the Odds

There are also conditions when the books weigh the odds to be heavier on one team. This happens especially when one team is performing well against the other. In this scenario, the bettor has the capacity to change the odds in the hope gaining a counter action so the bettors can achieve balance in their books. For instance, one team has -105 while the other has -115. When the minus sign (-) is seen in front of a number, this means that you are obliged to lay the same amount so that you can win $100.

To make betting computation simpler, it would be helpful to use a straight bets calculator. Since Straight bets promote a simple interface, this is the best way to engage into sports betting especially if your desire is to win on a long-term basis.