Historically, sports bettors have placed their wagers before an event has started – a tradition that dates to the early 1900s with horse racing tracks in the UK.
Going Live | A Guide to In-play Sports Betting
But the dawn of online betting has spawned a monster – in-play, or live, wagering.
Today, we can place our bets even after the action has got underway, taking advantage of events that happen on the pitch, court, ice, or mound, and utilizing odds movements to our advantage.
All of the major sportsbooks in the United States, such as BetDSI, offer in-play odds across a wide range of sports and events, and so all types of bettor can get involved – from the recreational punter looking to have some skin in the game, right through to pro bettors who can read the action and profit accordingly.
So, what are the different live betting markets that are available? Here are just some examples.
American Football
Generally speaking, most of the common bet types that are available before a game starts will then move to being ‘in-play’ once the action begins, with the odds and lines moving accordingly in relation to the events that unfold.
Therefore, money line, spreads and totals are available in live football betting, as are both player and team props – who will score the next touchdown? How many yards will a specific player reach? Which team will score the next points?
You can also wager on quarter and half markets as well, so there truly is no shortage of options as far as in-play NFL and college football betting are concerned.
Basketball
Because basketball is such a fast-paced sport, you will need to move quickly when it comes to placing your in-play bets! Thankfully, the latest technologies allow for one-click, instant bet placement.
Like with football, many of the pre-game options are still available once the tip-off has been made, from money line to spreads and totals.
There is no shortage of player props in basketball betting too, so you can wager on which players you think will go over/under their individual points line, who will score more points head-to-head against another nominated player, and much more besides.
Baseball
The subtle nuances of baseball are such that hundreds of live betting options are available for MLB games and college baseball too.
Much of the betting action will focus on the money line market – quite simply, who is going to win this game?
But there is the run line and total runs to consider as well, which enables us to maximize our value when we believe the favorite will win comfortably or the underdog will have their day.
If you want to take a dip into a high-risk, high-reward market, how about the correct nine-innings score? This option is only available until early in a game, but the odds truly are sizable – scores like 4-2 are available at prices of +2500 or longer.
Baseball bettors can also enjoy a stack of different player prop options as well. From home runs and stolen bases to strikeouts and walks allowed, there’s a myriad of ways you can make your knowledge of both batters and pitchers count.
Ice Hockey
As is common across the board, the three main betting markets for ice hockey games are money line, total goals, and the puck line – that is, the +/- figure assigned to both teams.
Each of those moves in-play after a game has started, where they are joined by a comprehensive array of betting options per period, as well as player props that include total goals per player, over/under player points lines, etc. and similar team props – penalty minutes, shots at goal, over/under goals and so on.
Soccer
Relatively speaking, soccer is a low-scoring sport, which makes both pre-game and in-play betting particularly interesting.
Even when goals are in short supply, there’s still plenty of other live betting options available. You can bet on corners, cards, passes, tackles, shots on target…the scale of the soccer props markets is extraordinary.
Of course, you may want to come back to the old faithful in your soccer betting – the money line, spreads, and total goals lines all move in-play once the first whistle has been blown, so you can keep your wagers as simple or as deep as you want with live soccer markets.
Tennis
One of the interesting things about tennis is that there can be multiple momentum shifts within a single set, let alone a match – these movements can create opportunities for bettors seeking value.
So granular is in-play tennis betting that you can wager on a game in the minutest of detail. Every single point played offers an opportunity for you to bet on who you think will win it.
You can also wager on match winner, total sets, over/under games, next break of serve and many other details within a single contest. When you look at all the options, you can see why in-play betting is so popular in America and beyond!