Sports Betting Basics & Best Sports to Bet on for Beginners

Posted in Circa Sports on January 12, 2021

Man Researching Sports Betting Basics on Laptop

If you’re a sports fan looking for ways to take watching your favorite teams to the next level, sports gambling might be your best bet. But it can be intimidating to know where to start, especially in a world of seasoned bettors. Luckily, we’re here to help you figure out the best sports to bet on with some simple and straightforward sports betting tips for beginners. It all boils down to having an understanding of sports betting basics and the sport itself and doing your research. Also, practice won’t necessarily make perfect, but it sure will make you better and more confident.

When it comes to sports betting for beginners, we’ll start with some sports betting vocabulary.

Sports Betting Basics

Favorite vs. Underdog

Anytime you’re betting on a game, one team will be favored to win. For instance, in the Team 2/Team 1 game below, Team 1 is the favorite and Team 2 is the underdog. The team with a negative number next to it is the favorite, while a positive number indicates the underdog.

Example of Sports Betting Point Spread and Moneyline

Spread vs. Moneyline

In the example above, you’ll see two different ways to bet. The first way to bet is by betting on the point spread. In this instance, you are betting on whether or not Team 1 will win by more than 19.5 points. Simply put, if the final score is 35-14 in Team 1’s favor, giving them a 21 point win, then a wager placed on Team 1 would win. However, if the final score is 35-17 in Team 1’s favor, Team 1 would win the game, but a wager placed on Team 1 would lose since they only won the game by 18 points.

The other option is placing a bet on which team you think will win. This is called a moneyline bet. In the above example, since Team 1 is such a heavy favorite, you would have to bet $1,200 on Team 1 to win $100. Conversely, since Team 1 is a large underdog, a $100 bet on Team 1 would yield a $750 payday if Team 2 wins.

Over/Under

Another relatively simple bet offered on matches in most sports is the over/under bet. This is where you bet on how many total points (or goals or runs) are scored in the game. For instance, if Team A is playing Team B, the Over/Under might be set at 221.5.

If you bet the over, you would win as long as the total points scored by both teams combined was 222 or more. Inversely, the under would win if the total was 221 or fewer. This is an easy way to bet without having to worry about which team wins or loses. You can just root for a lot of points or for some strong defense if you take the under.

Friends Watching Best Sports to Bet on Together

Best Sports to Bet On

When you’re first starting out on your sports betting journey, it’s best to pick a sport that is already familiar to you. No matter which sports you choose, the more practice you have the better you will understand the intricacies of sports betting. In our opinion, the best way to bet on sports is whichever way you feel comfortable and have fun. Practice and research are key, whether we’re talking about sports betting for beginners or for experts. Approaching a bet with an understanding of the sport’s rules, the teams, and players will help you contextualize how to bet. Some of the most common and popular sports to bet on are football, basketball, soccer, and baseball.

Circa Sports Betting Guides for Beginners

Saying to choose your favorite sport and start from there is one thing, but then what? If you want a more in-depth look into how to bet on certain sports, check out our guides on sports betting tips:

For each of these, sportsbooks typically offer bettors the ability to place moneyline bets, spread bets, over/unders, and more. So pick your favorite sport, join Circa Sports, find a bet you like, and get started on your sports gambling journey today at Circa Resort or the D! Be sure to download the Circa Sports app on iOS or Android to have your bookie right in your pocket and place your bet from anywhere in Nevada.