Sports betting is a fun, rewarding way to enjoy the excitement of your favorite teams. Whether you’re a newcomer or an experienced gambler, there are several things you need to know before placing your first bet.

Bankroll Management

The key to enjoying sports betting is bankroll management. This involves determining how much money you can afford to lose and planning out your bet sizes. A good rule of thumb is to risk only 1% to 5% of your bankroll per game or outcome.

Moneyline wagers

A moneyline bet is the most basic type of sports wager, where you choose one team to beat another. It’s based on the implied probability of a specific outcome, with low-risk moneylines (favorites) paying smaller returns and high-risk moneylines (underdogs) paying bigger returns.

Point spread bets

Point spread betting is a great way to add extra excitement to a game, as it allows you to make an educated bet on a specific team’s chances of winning. For example, if the line is set at -150 to win the National League East division and you believe that the Atlanta Braves are going to win the game, then you’ll bet more than -150.

Over/Under bets

Over/Under bets are a popular way to place wagers on a game’s total number of points. For example, if the line for a football game is set at 42.5 points and you think that there will be more than that, then you’ll place an Over bet.