Key Types of Bets at Sportsbooks

Key Types of Bets at Sportsbooks

Want to try your hand at betting or have already placed a few trial wagers? Before moving on, it’s helpful to understand the different kinds of bets—this will save you both money and nerves by helping you avoid the most common mistakes.

Contents

1. Wager Placement Modes
2. Basic Bet Types
3. Match-Result Bets
4. Double Chance
5. Total
6. Handicap
7. Final Recommendations

1. Wager Placement Modes

• Prematch line — picking an event before it starts.
• Live — betting on the fly while odds change during the match.
• Super-express / tote — a coupon with many matches where you must predict as many outcomes as possible.

Tip for beginners: start with prematch. You have time to study statistics and avoid “emotional” decisions. Leave live betting and the tote for later, once you’ve gained experience.

2. Basic Bet Types

• Match result (1, X, 2) — who wins or whether there is a draw.
• Double chance (1X, 12, X2) — two outcomes covered at once.
• Total (O/U) — how many goals, points or similar will be scored.
• Handicap (H1, H2) — a virtual addition or subtraction to one side’s score.

3. Match-Result Bets

There are three possible results:

1. 1 — home team wins.
2. X — draw.
3. 2 — away team wins.

Example calculation:

• Stake: 100 ₽ on 1, odds 1.80.
• Home team wins → payout 180 ₽.
• Away team wins or draw → loss 100 ₽.

⚠️ In most sports lines only regular time is settled. Extra time, shoot-outs or penalties are ignored unless stated otherwise.

4. Double Chance

Double chance protects one of the possibilities:

• 1X — home side will not lose.
• X2 — away side will not lose.
• 12 — the game will end with a winner.

Example calculation:

• Stake: 100 ₽ on 1X, odds 1.50.
• Home win or draw → payout 150 ₽.
• Away win → loss 100 ₽.

5. Total

Total measures the number of specific events:

• O (x) — “over x”.
• U (x) — “under x”.

Example with a fractional total:

• Stake: 100 ₽ on O 2.5, odds 1.90.
• 3 + goals → payout 190 ₽.
• 0–2 goals → loss 100 ₽.

Example with a whole-number total (O 3):

• 4 + goals → win.
• Exactly 3 goals → push (stake returned).
• 0–2 goals → loss.

You can also bet on individual totals (Team-O1, Team-U2, etc.) where only one team’s performance is counted.

6. Handicap

Handicap gives a virtual “head start”:

• H1 (x) — applied to the home team.
• H2 (x) — applied to the away team.

Example with a minus handicap:

• Stake: 100 ₽ on H1 −1.5, odds 2.00.
• Home side wins by 2+ goals → payout 200 ₽.
• Win by 1, draw or loss → loss 100 ₽.

Example with a plus handicap:

• Stake: 100 ₽ on H2 +1.5, odds 2.00.
• Away side loses by at most 1 goal, draws or wins → payout 200 ₽.
• Loss by 2+ goals → loss 100 ₽.

Whole-number handicaps (−1, +2, etc.) may result in a push if the actual margin matches the handicap exactly.

7. Final Recommendations

• Start with prematch and the simple markets—match result, double chance, total, handicap.
• Compare odds across different sportsbooks—terms and notations can vary.
• Test strategies with free bets or small stakes to learn without serious risk.
• Keep records of your bets—the best way to see where you make mistakes.

Practice plus clear-headed analysis will help turn knowledge into consistent results. Good luck with your wagers!