HOW CAN I START WITH SPORTS BETS?

A Reader Wants To Understand The Basics

To the Editor,

In the last few issues, you keep bringing up betting on sports. [Arizona’s casinos] opened their sportsbooks a while ago and it looks like fun. When all the big games happen, in all the different sports, I do like to watch them from time to time and I’ve always liked the [Green Bay Packers]. I don’t understand how to make a bet on the games. Can you help me?

Louise Belham Gilbert, AZ

Hi Louise! Thank you for being our reader and for your question. We’ll present a brief overview of how to get started with the excitement of betting on sports.

So, let’s look at your favorite team, the Green Bay Packers. If we rewind to the beginning of the last NFL season, their second game was against the New Orleans Saints. The odds for that game, according to one sportsbook, were: game outright without the use of the point spread. The Money Line is represented by numbers such as -170 for the favorite and +145 for the underdog. Both are in reference to $100, where for the favorite, a $170 bet wins $100 (total payout of $270) and for the underdog, a $100 bet wins $145 (total payout of $245).

One other type of wager you can make are called Futures. That is, you are betting on the outcome far in advance of the event. Most Future bets are made on which team will win a championship. When this article was written, the Green Bay Packers had odds between +2500 and +3500 to win the NFL Championship in 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs had odds between +575 and +600 by comparison.

Again, a $100 Future wager on the Packers will pay $2,500 to $3,500 (depending on what odds are given at the sportsbook you visit), plus the initial $100, if they win the Super Bowl in 2024. If the Chiefs win again in 2024, your $100 wager on them pays between $575 and $600 (depending on the exact odds you get), plus the initial $100.

The Spread represents the required margin of points by which a team must win or lose. The favorite is indicated by a minus sign along with the point spread (e.g. Packers –3.5). This means the Packers need to win by 3.5 points. The opposite applies to the underdog where they are indicated by a plus sign along with the point spread. The odds for a Spread wager are always fixed at bet 11 to win 10 (-110) unless stated otherwise. In the above example, since the Packers won by more than 3.5 points, they “covered the spread.” So betting $110 on the Packers to cover the spread paid $100 for a total of $210.

The Total or Over/Under, is a wager on the combined total final score from both teams of a game and if it will be more than (Over) or less than (Under) a specified amount (Total). This is an independent wager and is not associated with a point spread. Points scored in overtime are counted within the betting total unless otherwise indicated. In the example above, you can wager on the Under, meaning the combined score is less than 37 points. The Packers beat the Saints 20 to 10 (20 + 10 = 30, 30 < 37) so betting on the Under was a winner!

The Money Line represents the odds of a team winning the

Another interesting wager which can provide solid wins regularly is called a Parlay. This wager is a combination of two or more bets (also called legs) on one ticket. To win a Parlay, all wagers must be won, and the entire bet is lost if one leg loses. However, if one leg pushes, it is simply removed from the Parlay and a three-leg Parlay will become a two-leg Parlay.

When the Packers played the Saints, a winning two-leg Parlay would have been to make a Money Line bet on the Packers to win, and a bet on the Under. The Packers won and both teams scored less than 37 points combined. The payouts on two-leg Parlays vary depending on the odds of the bets involved, but you are essentially increasing your payout, as long as both wagers hit, while only paying for one bet.

Most casino sportsbook kiosks are user friendly. Insert money, select your wagers, and collect your tickets. Some kiosks can scan the ticket bar code and tell you if it’s a winner. If you’ve got winners, many kiosks transfer the funds onto the unit to let you place new bets. All the sportsbooks across Arizona’s casinos have friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you get started, so just ask! That’s some of the basics of betting on sports! $

Thank you to our readers for your questions and comments, we appreciate you! Write us at Editor@AZGamingGuide.com or by mail at Editor, AZ Gaming Guide, PO BOX 20636, Mesa, AZ, 85277.