What Is An If Bet

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1. Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understan.
2. Bet #2 Bulls -3 -110 $50 to win $45.4545. If win, push, tie, or cancelled – Then: Lakers +4 -110 $50 to win $45.4545; The two bets above are placed together on the same ticket using the reverse bet wagering option of an online bookmaker. As you can see this is a “double if bet” using the same selections. Bet $50 on the Lakers and if they.
3. How to Become a Bookie 2 - Betting Types 3 Hi, welcome, this is the fourth installment from our How to Become a Bookie video series.

Point spread betting is the most popular form of sports betting. The vast majority of sports wagers use a point spread thanks to the popularity of football and basketball. Even though this type of betting is so popular, it may take awhile to understand.

The point spread is sometimes known as an equalizer for sportsbook operators. All teams aren’t created equally, so sportsbooks can create a point spread for a game so that each team playing has an almost even chance of winning the game. In a way, the point spread will even the field for both teams.

The point spread gives a reason for bettors to risk money on both teams. The better team playing in the game is considered favorite. They have to win by the point spread offered by the sportsbook. The favorite in a game is listed as being minus (-) the point spread.

The worse of the teams playing in the game is called the underdog. The bettor wins if this team wins the game outright or loses by an amount smaller than the point spread. The underdog in a game is listed as being plus (+) the point spread.

Let’s use this past Super Bowl between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs as an example.

Using this example, the Chiefs were 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers. The Chiefs needed to win by 4 or more points to cover the spread.

Likewise, the Buccaneers were 3-point underdogs. That means the Buccaneers needed to win the game outright or not lose the contest by 4 points or more. At Chiefs -3, if they won by exactly 3 points, the betting result would have been a “push” and bettors for both sides would have gotten their wagers refunded.

The Buccaneers pulled off the upset, winning by a score of 31-9, and rewarded bettors who backed them at +3.

Point spread betting odds

Point spreads are usually set with -110 odds, but pricing often fluctuates at online sportsbooks. This is the sportsbook operators’ house edge. The odds guarantee the sportsbook operator will see a little money over time. When the odds are set at -110, the bettor must wager $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10).

The odds on a point spread are most commonly known as the vigorish or “vig” for the sportsbook. You might hear this small profit margin for the sportsbook called the “juice” by some sports bettors.

Point spread FAQs

What does ‘pick em’ or ‘pick’ mean in NFL betting?

A “pick em” (sometimes seen as “pick”) is when the teams have a point spread of zero, meaning neither team is favored. In this instance, you’re essentially picking moneyline and your bet will be determined on the winner alone.

What does -7 and +7 mean in NFL betting?

A spread of minus-seven (-7) means that a is favored to win the game by a touchdown (technically, a touchdown and the extra point). A team favored by -7 must win the game by eight or more points to win the bet. If the team wins by seven, the result is a “push” and the bet is refunded.

A spread of +7 means the team must win the game or lose by fewer than seven points to win the bet. A loss by seven would result in a push.

What does -3 and +3 mean in NFL betting?

A -3 spread means that the favorite must win by more than a field goal to win the wager. A three-point win would result in a push and the sportsbook would refund the wager.

A spread of +3 means the team listed as the underdog must win the game or lose by fewer than three points to cash the bet. A three-point loss would be graded as a push by the sportsbook and the bet would be refunded.

Why are point spreads in the NFL so much lower than in college?

In 2019, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in point differential per game at +13.7 points; the Miami Dolphins ranked last in the NFL in point differential per game at -11.7. Even Kansas City– known for their explosive offense– had an average point differential in 2019 of just 9.7 points. The net point differential in the NFL is -14.1, or -0.9 points per game. Basically, the talent differential in the NFL is so minute that even mismatched teams often draw games within a score of each other.

What Is An If Bet In Sports Betting

NFL spreads are most commonly between one point and four, with six being a heavy favorite and extremes coming out around 15-20 point favors. (For those wondering, the 1941 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record of point differential at +15.7 points per game. Conversely, Ohio State had a +33.1 average point differential in 2019.)

Point spread and odds movement

Sportsbook operators often aim to have equal money on both sides of a point spread. When the money is exactly split the sportsbook operator will see the exact vigorish as their profit margin. If all things are equal over time this will maximize how much money the sportsbook operator can make.

In an effort to have equal money on both sides of a wager, the sportsbook operator will move the point spread to attract money on the side that customers aren’t betting on. The odds for a point spread might change before the actual point spread. There are certain point spread numbers, like 3 and 7 in football, the sportsbook operators would like to avoid moving away from since the final score margin falls on these two numbers most often.

What Is A Reverse Bet

For example, if a lot more money is wagered on the New England Patriots -3, the vig may shift from -112 to -115 and -120 before the line moves to -3.5.

Run and puck lines

Football and basketball games are mostly bet using a point spread. The less popular major sports, baseball and hockey, are mostly bet using a moneyline. In an effort to make baseball and hockey more appealing to point spread bettors, the sportsbook operators offer run and puck lines, respectively.

These alternative lines give point spread bettors a chance to wager on other sports using a more familiar method of betting. Since points (runs and goals) aren’t as easy to come by in baseball and hockey, the odds with the lines may have a wider spread than a football or basketball game.

If bets and reverse bets are two of the more complex sports
wagers you can place, but they aren’t actually too difficult to
understand once you’re familiar with the concept. Although we
consider these to be advanced wagers, we do think it’s worth it
for beginners to learn how they work, because they do offer some notable
advantages.

These bets are similar to parlays, in that they involve
making multiple selections, but they are lower risk and can
still offer a return even if you don’t get every selection
right. They can be great options if you want to bet on the
result of more than one match without risking too much of your
bankroll.

We’ve explained more about these wagers below, and provided
some examples of how they work in practice.

Omni Bet Explained

How If Bets Work

An if bet is a combination of two or more wagers, where the
result of each wager determines whether or not the subsequent
wagers are actually placed. This actually sounds a little more
complicated than it is. Basically, you make multiple selections
at whatever stake you choose. Your stake is then placed on your
first selection. If your first selection loses, you lose your
stake and the rest of the wager is cancelled.

If your first selection wins you get paid out, but with an
amount equal to your initial stake deducted. This amount is then
placed again on your second selection. If the second selection
wins you get paid out minus the original stake which is
then placed on the third selection. If the second selection
loses, then the rest of the wager is cancelled.

The number of selections you can include in an if bet will
vary from one bookmaker to another, but it’s typically between two
and six. The basic principle is always the same regardless of
how many selections you make. If you make two selections, then
the second selection only comes into play if the first selection
wins. If you make three selections, then the third selection
only comes into play if the first two selections win.

The best way to show exactly how if bets work is to use a
simple example using real betting markets.

Example If Bet

In this example we’ll use an if bet using two selections,
based on point spread betting in football. Take a look at the
following two betting markets.

Now let’s say that you decided to place an if bet on the two
favorites (the Steelers and the Broncos) to cover the spread,
staking $110. You make the Steelers your first selection and the
Broncos your second selection. $110 is deducted from your
account.

In this scenario, there are four possible combinations of
results, as follows.

1. Steelers Cover, Broncos Don’t
2. Both Teams Cover
3. Neither Team Covers
4. Steelers Don’t Cover, Broncos Do

Let’s look at what would happen to your wager for each set of
results.

At the point that the Steelers cover, you are due $100 in
winnings. You don’t get your initial $110 back though, because that
is rolled over to the Broncos. With the Broncos not covering,
you lose that $110. You still get the $100 return from the
Steelers selection though, so your net loss is just $10.

The Steelers covering gives you $100 in winnings, with your
initial $110 stake rolled over to the Broncos. The Broncos
covering gives you another $100 in winnings, plus your initial
stake back as there are no more selections. You’ve made a $200
profit.

At the point that the Steelers fail to cover, the rest of the
bet is cancelled. You are out your initial $110 stake. The fact
that the Broncos also fail to cover is irrelevant, because you have
no money riding on it.

Again, the rest of the bet is cancelled when the Steelers
fail to cover. Therefore the Broncos result is irrelevant again.
Even though they’ve covered, you have no money riding on the
game so you are still out your initial $110.

Order of Selections

The example outlined above not only illustrates how an if bet
works, it also highlights one fundamentally important aspect of
them. The order of your selections can affect the outcome of the
wager. In the last scenario listed above (Broncos covering,
Steelers not), you’ve lost your entire initial stake even though
one of your selections was a winner. This is because the second
selection didn’t come into play.

Had you picked the Broncos as your first selection, you would
have got the $100 winnings from that selection. You would still
have had an overall loss of $10, as you would have lost the $110
being rolled over to the Steelers, but that’s significantly
better than losing $110.

Please note that even though the Broncos were playing after
the Steelers, you still could have picked the Broncos as your
first selection. The order in which the matches are played
doesn’t matter for the purposes of an if bet, because the final
outcome of the bet is calculated once all relevant matches are
played.

The fact that the order of selections can affect the outcome
of an if bet brings an extra element of luck to these wagers,
which can be avoided by the use of reverse bets.

What Are Reverse Bets?

Reverse bets are if bets that work in all possible
directions. They are essentially a combination of each of the
possible if bets on any given number of selections, and as such
they eliminate the possibility of losing out on returns due to
the order of selections.

What Is Difference Between If And Switch Statement

In the if bet example we just explained there were two
selections. The first selection was the Steelers, and the second
selection was the Broncos. If the Broncos covered the spread,
but the Steelers failed to do so, we showed that you would have
lost your entire wager.

This could have been avoided by placing a reverse bet instead
of a single if bet. In this instance, a reverse bet would have
basically combined an if bet with the Steelers as the first
selection and an if bet with the Broncos as the first selection.
This would have guaranteed you some money back if at least one
of your selections won.

Please be aware that when you place a reverse bet, your
initial stake is multiplied by the number of if bets it
combines. A reverse bet with two selections, as we’ve just
shown, is two if bets. One with Team A as the first selection
and Team B as the second selection, and one with Team B as the
first selection and Team A as the second selection. So, if you
placed a $55 reverse bet you would be staking a total of $110 –
$55 on one if bet and $55 on the other.

What Is An If Bet In Gambling

The following table shows how many if bets are included in a
reverse bet based on the number of selections. Note that the
number of if bets increases exponentially as the selections
increase. It’s worth bearing this in mind when placing reverse
bets, because it means your stakes increase exponentially too.

What Is An If Bet In Football

If bets and reverse bets can be very useful if used in the
correct way and for the right reasons. They are particularly
attractive as an alternative to parlays if you are willing to
sacrifice some of the potential returns for a lower overall
risk.