This guide to online sports betting will expand over time, so bettors can keep coming back for valuable educational insights and tips to place bets on their favorite sports, leagues, and players.
A beginner’s guide to online betting
While you can use online betting tools to help convert odds and work out your potential return for a successful bet, the best place to start is with the basics. That’s what we cover here.
Free online sports betting guides at PlayersBest
We have produced in-depth guides that will help you learn more about each of the most popular types of bets.
| Bet Type | Description |
| Over/Under Betting Guide | Focused on whether a team or player scores over or under a specific number. Correctly predict if more or less than the listed total will be scored to win this type of bet |
| Moneyline Betting Guide | A simple bet where you wager on a team or player to win a specific match outright |
| Points Spread Guide | Used to level the playing field between mismatched opponents. A favorite (indicated by a minus sign) must win by more than the listed number, and an underdog (indicated by a plus sign) must win or lose by less than the number, to cover. |
| Prop Bets Guide | Bet on specific events not tied to the final result of the match, including in-game events and milestones (i.e., first goalscorer, over/under receiving yards, will the game go to overtime?) |
| Future Bets Guide | Focused on future outcomes (i.e., the outright winner of a league championship, the winner of a season-long award, a divison winner) |
| Live Betting Guide | Wagering on various aspects a match or event while it is already underway (i.e., totals, moneyline, spread, props) |
How sports betting works
In sports betting, you can place a wager on an event outcome you think is most likely to happen. You may back the Boston Celtics to win the next NBA championship, Joe Burrow to lead the NFL in passing touchdowns, or Carlos Alcaraz to win the next Wimbledon tournament.
You can place bets on the underdogs, and if you’re right, the longer odds will lead to a better return on your original bet. Shop for the longest odds at top online sportsbooks and use our betting calculators before placing a bet to see what the profit and net payout will be.
You can bet on all popular sports leagues and niche markets, too, including but not limited to:
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Football
- Hockey
- Golf
- Tennis
- Boxing
- MMA
- Soccer
- Formula 1
How to bet online
You’ll see several types of bets at online sportsbooks, many of which are specific to certain sports. However, there are several types of bets you’ll see no matter which US sportsbook you decide to use.
Choosing your odds format
Most online sportsbooks feature three of the most popular odds formats:
- American
- Fractional
- Decimal
You can switch between them to use your preferred format. You will then see the available odds in that format on every page of the sportsbook you’re using. If you read our points spread guide, you can convert any odds examples into the odds format you prefer to use. This should make it easier to understand how it works.
Pros and cons of online sports betting
If you’re interested in placing some wagers on your favorite sports, it’s more convenient to do it online than anywhere else. We’ve pulled together these pros and cons relating to online wagering in the US today.
- You’ll always get the latest odds
- There’s hundreds of bets to choose from
- Many betting sites offer live markets
- You can place bets on all top sports
- Some states haven’t legalized online betting
Refer back to our free online betting guide
Hopefully, you’ve started to get an idea of how to place bets, how to display them in different ways, and which types of bets you are most likely to see at any online sportsbook you visit.
If you browse the articles we've listed for you here, you’ll be able to expand your knowledge, so you can compare different bets and odds to see where you might like to place a wager.
Sports betting appears complicated to begin, but you might be surprised at how quickly you’ll gain an understanding of the formats, bet types, popular markets, and available odds to look for.
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Online sports betting guide FAQ
This is the simplest sporting wager to understand. It requires you to pick the team or player you think will win a match outright.
An underdog is a team or player not expected to win. For example, if a high-ranking tennis player plays against someone outside the world’s top 100, the outsider is viewed as the underdog.
Yes, if you’re a beginner, it’s helpful to get the basics in place and make sure you understand them before you consider placing a real cash bet on any sport or outcome.
Always wager on the sports, leagues, and players you know best. It's easy to get caught up in the niche events and hundreds of ways to wager, but it's smart to stick to what you know.
This is an American odds format commonly used at most sportsbooks. If you bet $100 on a market with +220 odds, a successful wager will net $220 in profit for a $320 total return.
