Just like you can never win any sport you don’t understand or know how to play it if you do not have the understanding of the basic bet types, it becomes almost impossible to place the right bet.
In this article, we would be explaining three basic bet types; Handicap, Totals, and 1x-2. Continue reading to learn more about them.
Bet Types: Totals
Totals is a bet type that is also popular albeit as an alternative to Handicap Betting and 1x-2. Here the focus shifts from finding the winner of a particular game to predicting what the outcomes of a few game variables would be. These variables could be any easily quantifiable variable such as goals or points.
For this type of betting, bookmakers would offer the bettors the option of choosing whether the total goals would be OVER or UNDER their personal assessment of the game.
For example, in a situation that a Champions League game between Chelsea and Napoli is being considered, the total goal mark is placed at Over 2.5 (2.080) and Under 2.5 (1.909).
If a £10 bet is placed on the game to have over 2.5 goals, and the match ends at 2-1 (3 goals scored) the bettor would make a return £20.80, making £10.80 profit, but would have won nothing if he had bet that the total number of goals would be Under 2.5.
Bet Types: Handicap
Betting in handicap is the most valuable type of betting when one team is a heavy favorite in a game. Bookmakers offer handicap in order to level the playing field and counter the bias in the teams’ abilities.
The handicap is factored into the game’s final result to determine its final outcome for betting purposes.
For example, the handicap for a game between Chelsea and Napoli would be; (+0.5, 2.020) for Chelsea and (-0.5, 1.917) for Napoli.
If Napoli wins 1-0, betting than Napoli would win as the 0.5 handicap would not be enough to change the outcome.
If the result turns out to be stalemates say 1-1, betting on Chelsea to win as the 0.5 handicap and adding that to their result is good enough for the game to be turned in their favor.
However, the handicap is not only limited to the above scenario and can also appear in a different way for example as a split, like -0.5 & -1 or +0.5 & +1. In this case your stake is taken and placed in double handicap bets for you, and placing you in a position to win both, lose both or win one of the bets.
Bet Types: 1×2
1×2 betting is arguably the most popular betting form at the moment, and also the easiest way for a bettor to get to grips with the cost of betting. We would continue using our example of a Champions League game between Chelsea and Napoli to explain this also.
If you bet £10 that Chelsea would win at an odd or 4.250, a victory for Chelsea would net you a profit of £32.50. However, if the game ends in a draw or defeat for Chelsea, you would earn nothing.
If you bet the same £10 on a draw, you would earn a profit of £27.90, while placing the same bet that Napoli would win would net you £9.17 profit.
After understanding 1x-2 betting, the next step is to understand how its odds vary with different bookmakers.
