Most people tend to bet on a particular event before it starts. But live betting started to pick up the slack popularity-wise due to the general growth of mobile online sports betting. It’s as easy as it gets with a smartphone. If a match is already running, you can get access to the live betting lines. Our iBet sportsbook is state of the art and after kick-off, tip-off, or face-off you can bet live on all kinds of markets with updated odds for moneyline, point-spreads, or totals for example. We’ll dive into more details concerning that topic later though!
Pre-match betting vs. live sports betting
The difference between pre-match betting and live betting is that you basically don’t have to bet “into the blue”. The live betting odds are moving very slowly in the beginning, so you have a good chance of getting a feeling for the game and seeing in which direction it might be going. The fluctuation of the odds are changing drastically if one team scores a goal or shows any other sign of a compelling advantage. If something like a goal or a touchdown happens, the sportsbook freezes for a moment and adjusts to the new scenario. We have certain iBet promotions for either way, though – no matter if you prefer pre-match or live sports betting. By the way: always keep your eyes open for sports betting bonus from iBet that can be used for both markets.
Which live betting odds can I use to my advantage?
The main markets are also for live betting available. Depending on the sport, you might also have the chance occasionally to bet on a special team or player props. Especially for Basketball online betting odds or other US sports, those markets are fairly popular – even though most of them are more pre-match orientated. You can also place a live bet on a range of sports as example you can look through our updated ice hockey betting odds or football live betting odds to be sure that iBet offers one of the best odds on the market. The following markets are the most common ones for live sports betting:
- Moneyline: You bet on the winning team, no matter the score. If you’re betting on the favorite, they have a negative line. You must risk the moneyline to make €100 in profit. If you’re betting on the underdog, they have so-called positive odds and the moneyline is what you can win with a €100 bet.
- Totals: For US sports betting it’s very popular, especially for Basketball (NBA) or American Football (NFL) but also for football in Europe. It refers to a combined score in a particular game.
- Props: It’s the shortcut for proposition bets. As mentioned before, these bets are often used for player-specific stats. The Basketball live betting odds are therefore quite useful for this category.
- Futures: This applies to certain sports and it’s more of a “technical” term. Take a golf event for example, which lasts four rounds (or four days) and you can place a bet in between – so it’s still a live bet. Or you bet on the winner of the Super Bowl during the regular season.
Tactics for live betting
Obviously, there’s not one go-to-tactic. But you get more information about the game during the early stages. Especially if a huge favorite is starting slow or they might even be trailing due to an early goal of the opponent for example. If that’s the case, it might still be useful to check the live betting odds and place a bet on the favorite.
The same applies to over/under bets, especially for Basketball. Often you can tell during the early minutes of the game if it’s a high-scoring affair or the opposite. And the live betting lines are not adjusting that quickly during the first couple of minutes. Why not give it a shot and try it out for yourself?
If a match or event gets a lot of media coverage, it creates hype. Even in the world of sports betting. If there is something like a Champions League Final or any other attention-grabbing event – a massive volume of people is betting on it. That might influence the odds as well. Even if it is kind of unpopular for those kinds of games – you can try to bet on the under. People are most of the time rooting for a high-scoring matchup. But it rarely happens for important games. The trick is not to bet on something that you just want it to happen, but instead on a result/total that is more likely to happen.
The most important advice for live betting is not to chase your losses though. Even if it is tempting to place a live bet to recover from your losses. Online sports betting is always about finding a balance – no matter if you’re betting pre-match or live.
What are the benefits of live sports betting?
Compared to placing a bet pre-match you have obviously the advantage of watching what goes on in that event. Even if you’re doing your research before the game, reading stats and our sports news updates – it’s still more efficient to watch the early stages of the match.
The so-called value betting is way easier with a live bet. For example, if you’re betting on the favorite and at half-time, it’s still a draw – your odds for the favorite team have moved from 1.20 to 1.80 or something along those lines. Theoretically, the favorite team has still the same chances of winning the game as before the match started though. The same goes for the over/under bets. Have a look at the game and if nothing happens and you find the right moment to place your bet – live betting can be very lucrative.
Place any kind of bet and due to the cash-out function you can always “play it safe”. Maybe you bet pre-match on the favorite, you’re watching the game and your team isn’t playing well but still manages to go in front. If you’re feeling unsafe, just use the cash-out function and close the bet to secure your profit. Always play it wise – “Better be safe than sorry”!
Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly.
