Straight Wagers Explained

A straight wager is the most common type of bet made on sports. It is made on a point spread, money line, run line, or a game total as examples. A straight bet is won by covering the betting line, with the payout varying on what oddsmakers have set down.

Below, ExplainBettingOdds.com has prepared descriptions and explanations of betting odds you will find when looking to make straight wagers. You can also access our individual pages on these topics to go further in-depth on the subject under the individual headings directly beneath this paragraph.

Understanding The Different Types Of Regular Straight Wagers

Point Spreads - The Most Common Type Of Straight Wager

A point spread is installed for game that tabs the favorite as well as the underdog in a particular match up. The favorite gives points, while the underdog receives points on the betting line. This handicap is installed based on what oddsmakers believe will make it an even match up. The bet is placed on which team a bettor believes will cover the line. The bet is won by picking the correct team that wins against the spread. The underdog does not necessarily have to win the game outright to cover the installed spread for them as the favorite can win the game but still not cover the spread. Spreads go strictly by margin of victory/defeat.

Example Of How Point Spreads Work:

  • New England Patriots (-3)
  • New York Giants (+3)

This is an example of a point spread for an NFL match up between the Patriots and the Giants. New England has been set as three-point favorites over the Giants. For the Patriots to cover the line, they will need at least a four-point victory. On the other side of the line, the Giants can cover with a loss by 2 points or less.

Article: Understanding Point Spreads

Moneyline Bets - Whos Cares What They Win By, As Long As They Win

The money line and and the point spread aren't that dissimilar from each other. There is a favorite, and an underdog set in the match up. But the big difference is that there is no point spread installed for either team. The bet is placed on which team that is believed to win the game straight up with no spread. Yes, this sounds easier, but the payouts are a lot different than with a point spread. The payout on a favorite is typically very low, with much more required to risk to profit. The opposite is true for the underdog, where the payout can be much higher because they are not favored to win. A money line is set on a $100 parameter.

Moneyline Example:

Oregon Ducks (-125)
USC Trojans (+145)

Here in this college football example, Oregon is set as a -125 favorite. That means, for every $1.25 wagered on the Ducks to win the game, a $1 profit is returned. USC is a +145 underdog and should they win, bettors will receiver $1.45 for every $1 wagered on the line. It only matters who wins straight up

Article: Moneyline Betting Odds Explained

Over / Under Betting Odds Explained- How Many Points Between Both Teams

Every match up for a game will typically have three basic straight wagers, of which two we've discussed. A point spread, and a money line are two of them. The third is a game total. The game total is set for the two teams combined points, runs, or goals in the match up. From there, a bet can be placed on whether the game total will go over that mark, or go under that mark. Betting on game totals is particularly attractive because you do not need to root for one team or the other but rather for offense or for defense. If you wager the over, you don't care who wins as long as they are scoring a lot of points & the opposite can be said for the under.

Over/Under Example:

OKC Thunder vs. LA Lakers
Over/Under - 212.5 Points

In this NBA example, the point total for this game has been set at 212.5 points. The over total will win the bet if the game total reaches 213 points or more. On the flip side, the under total will win this line if the game total goes for 212 points or less. Payouts for these game total wagers are usually right around even money .

Article: Over / Under Betting Odds Explained

Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sports Betting Site For Straight Wagers

There is no other online sportsbook that is better than Bovada. There are many reasons for this but having all the betting options is the main reason why. The great thing is that when players sign up for a Bovada account, they only have to be 18 and older. Straight wagers are here and these are simple bets that can have players profit big. The moneyline bets and point spread bets are the straight wagers that players can bet on and most of the time this is where players go. All of these bets are here and this is what makes Bovada one of the best.

BetOnline Sportsbook - BetOnline Has Straight Wagers

BetOnline has all of the things that players need and want when it comes to online sportsbooks. The reason that most players bring in other players to sign up for an account is because of all the betting options that they offer. The straight wagers are here for players to take advantage of and with every game, there is plenty of different straight wagers here on BetOnline. Making these bets is easy and having the best banking method makes it easier as well. This is where BetOnline shows that they are better than any other online sportsbook out there.

SportsBetting Sportsbook - Tons Of Straight Wagers On Sportsbetting

Straight wagers are big on SportBetting and most of the time players know that when they sign up for an account. To know that there are plenty of bets on here for players to wager on is huge and most of the time the features like live betting and mobile betting are the ones that can change player’s life as soon as they sign up for an account. The games that all players can think about are here on SportsBetting and all it takes is for players to take the time to see what type of straight wagers they have interest in. Keeping your account here will not be an issue because players know that this is where all the bets are and best of all, SportBetting will have everything that players want and it starts with straight wagers.

MyBookie Sportsbook - Straight Wagers Here On MyBookie

The biggest thing that online sportsbooks can have is the variety of betting options. The bonuses are here for players to pick from and most of the time there is plenty fo them on Mybookie. Live betting and mobile betting features are here and they have a lot of Straight wagers that players like to pick from. Having all types of straight wagers like a money line, parlay bets and others mean players will put down more money and also bring in more players. This is why players continue to come back to MyBookie because of the straight wager options here for players to pick from. Adding all of the best you have on to one ticket and place big money on MyBookie will prove to profitable because of the odds set on MyBookie!

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