Live betting, or in-play betting, is becoming an increasingly popular way to bet on sporting events such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and more. Timing is crucial when placing bets and betting on a game while watching it gives you instant information that can be used to make a sound betting decision. It’s also extremely fun!
Best Sports Betting Sites
Live betting is appropriately named. It is simply placing wagers on a game that is already underway and has yet to be completed. Sportsbooks will normally post live betting lines when game play stops. So, during a timeout or commercial break, for example, sportsbooks will update their live betting lines.
Types of Live Bets
The types of live bets you will find will vary greatly depending upon the sport and the sportsbook. It takes a ton of manpower and technology to set lines in real time. Still, you will most often be able to find the following live bets.
The same traditional point spread, moneyline, and totals bets that you do before a game. The odds will change though to reflect what is happening in a game. If it’s an NFL game and Green Bay was a 7.5-point favorite, those odds would change if the Packers suddenly fell behind to Minnesota 21-0 in the first half. You might find the odds swing to Green Bay becoming a +6 underdog. Knowing Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers and his penchant for comebacks, you jump on that bet at halftime.
You will also find a number of in-game proposition bets. You will find everything from player props – like how many touchdowns a player will score – to wagering on whether the next play will be a run or a pass. It’s extremely exciting and the best part is you have real-time information to use when placing your wager.
There are also live betting options to turn single bets into a parlay. Again, having access to real-time data may allow you to find more than one value bet that you can turn into a parlay.
Sports Betting News and Gambling Guides
Benefits of Live Betting
When you bet on a game’s point spread, you do all the research and make your decision. You bet on the Lakers -5 against Houston. Then, you turn on the game and James Harden has 24 points in the first quarter. He is absolutely on fire.
You can hedge your original bet by taking advantage of a number of live betting opportunities. You could bet on the first half point spread. You could place a bet on Houston to win if you find the right line. You could also find a player prop to take advantage of Harden’s performance.
The same is true for college basketball and college football. There is a huge gap between the best and worst teams in the FBS and Division I basketball. This year already, there have been major upsets in college basketball.
Then fourth-ranked Virginia was a 15.5-point favorite over mid-major San Francisco. The 2019 NCAA champs lost 61-60. Live bettors could have got in on the action to take advantage of what would become a significant upset.
Live betting offers bettors real-time information they can use to make sound betting decisions. The adrenaline rush that goes with live betting is what makes it so fun and exciting and, like any betting, just takes some time to learn.
