Back to Betting Basics: The Safest Bet in Sports is also the Easiest to Make
Online casinos are so easy. Pick a game, place a bet, press play, and cross your fingers. Betting on sports may sound equally simple. Pick a team, place a bet, wait and see, right? Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Visit any online sportsbooks today and you’ll see just how complex the betting systems have become. Unders and overs, moneylines and spreads, parlays, combos and if props, all overshadowed by convoluted odds that meld together into a matrix of cascading numbers. If you aren’t inherently familiar with all this, you’ll need a crash course in betting markets, if not a personal tutor, to figure it all out.
The truth is, betting doesn’t need to be so complicated. The bookmakers want to present you with so many elaborate propositions because those bets earn them the most profits. With regular line management, they are the easiest for the house to hedge. The only people who regularly benefit from them are professional bettors who are equally skilled in bet-hedging – and have hours to spare doing it.
For beginner sports bettors, all this confusion often leads to the same question…
What is the Safest Bet in Sports?
If you’re pondering this same question – and the fact that you’re reading this now tells me you are – I have good news. The safest sports bet also happens to be the easiest one to make. Not necessarily the easiest one to find, but the easiest to decide on.
It’s a Moneyline, or Straight Up Bet; a simple wager on one athlete or team to beat their opponent. What makes these wagers so safe is that any genuine sports fan can capitalize on them, with no professional-grade betting knowledge required.
Why are Moneyline Bets So Safe?
Think back to your early days as a sports fan. You sat on the sofa with a friend or relative to watch the game. “Who do you think is gonna win?” they ask. You follow up with a response, likely leading to an insightful discussion on the how and why. It could be an agreeable conversation or a shrewd debate. If the latter, odds are someone will pose the inevitable question…
“Wanna bet?”
If you are confident in your pick, you’ll take that bet, even if it’s just a couple of dollars, or who buys snacks or beer for the next game.
That’s exactly how easy it is to make a moneyline bet. You simply pick the contestant you are absolutely confident will win. The only difference is that a sportsbook only makes serious bets, not the friendly wagers made amongst close buds. If you’re not absolutely confident, don’t make the bet.
So long as you have enough knowledge of the sport – not the entire betting world, just the sport you’re betting on – then you can feel confident you’re making a safe bet.
Are Long-Odd Moneylines Worth Betting On?
Straight bets tend to have long odds. It’s rarely an even match-up. So you might be betting a significantly larger amount of money than you stand to win. The lines could be as far apart as 35/65, or even 20/80. That’s because most contests have a favorite to win. The more favored one is over the over, the longer the odds. Sportsbooks exploit safe bets by making you pay a high price for a small reward.
Is it smart to bet $100 to win $25?
That’s something only you, the bettor, can decide. Think of it this way – you’ll either lose $100 or you win $25. That’s a $75 difference. Are you more than 75% certain your pick will win? If not, it isn’t a safe bet. Even if you’re exactly 75% certain, that’s not really enough to call it a safe bet. But if you’re closer to 80% or 90% certain, then you can call that a safe sports bet.
Unfavorably long odds aren’t always the case, though. There may be an occasion where you’re truly confident the underdog will kick butt and take names. In such cases, you can risk far less to win much more. It’s a rare case, so don’t go looking for worthy underdogs. Statistics consistently show that the favorite team is favored for good reason. They will win more often than not. But when the right match-up comes along, and your confidence level is high, take the opportunity for what it’s worth.
Make Safe Bets with eCheck Deposits
There’s a whole other aspect of making safe bets, and that’s the method with which you pay for them. We constantly hear about credit and debit card fraud; personal info and numbers being stolen with online use. Web wallets are safe, but they can be costly. Most Canadians with any respectable degree of online betting experience agree that eChecks are the safest way to move money in and out of online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites.
An eCheck is just like a paper check, but in digital format. The information on an eCheck also equals that of a paper cheque, and therein lies the security. There is no risk in handing a paper cheque to anyone, be it your neighbour, the grocery store clerk, or the tow truck driver who helped you out in a pinch. They are just as safe to use online, transferring funds directly to/from your bank account.
- Learn more: eCheck Casino Deposits
