As sports betting becomes legal in more states, people that previously never thought of placing a bet may be entertaining the idea now. However, if they do not know how to place a standard sports bet, they may be leery of trying.
How hard can it be, though? It is not hard to place a standard sports bet online, but it is a little more involved than making a bet with your brother or one of your buddies. Should you make a mistake, well … it could cost you money.
Rather than miss out on some money, check out our guide on how to place a standard sports bet (spread, moneyline, totals).
Steps To Placing a Standard Sports Bet
When we are talking about a standard sports bet, we are referring to picking a winner (either via the moneyline or the point spread) or going with the over/under on the final score.
Placing a bet online does entail more than just picking a team and deciding how much you want to risk. First, you need to do your homework, not just on the teams playing in the game but on the basics of sports betting.
Make sure you know how to read a betting line and know what the moneyline is, the point spread, and totals (over/under).
Once you feel like you understand the basics, start reviewing the different sportsbooks operating in your state.
Make note of what each offers as a welcome bonus, and review the terms and conditions attached to it. The last thing you want to do is pick a bonus with conditions so strict there is no way you can complete them on time. But choose the right one and you can add a nice amount of money to your bankroll.
However, before you can pick a sportsbook, you need to decide how much money you want to deposit into your account. The size of your initial bankroll will factor into which bonus you can get the most from.
Once you decide on a sportsbook, the rest of the process is easy:
- Register for an account with your sportsbook of choice; be sure to enter the promo code for the welcome bonus in the designated box.
- Make your first deposit.
- Review the sports and markets available and click on the one you want to bet on.
- After clicking on the market, your betting slip will appear. Enter how much you want to bet in the appropriate box.
- Before clicking on “place bet,” you should review your betting slip to make sure you bet on what you want to bet on.
- When you are ready, click on “place bet” to officially place your bet.
Terminology may vary from one sportsbook to the next but the process will not differ much (if at all).
Picture Credit: Twitter, Yahoo
