How to Bet on Sports: Every Wager Type Explained

SPORTSBOOK BETTING
& WAGER TYPES

Learn how to bet baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, NASCAR, tennis and golf. Explore the fundamentals, sport-specific props and advanced wager formats.

Explore Wager Types Visit bettors guide

FIND YOUR WAGER

GENERAL GUIDES

14 guides

FOOTBALL

6 guides

BASKETBALL

6 guides

HOCKEY

7 guides

BASEBALL

10 guides

HORSE RACING

7 guides

GENERAL WAGER TYPES

Understand the essential wagers every sports bettor should know.

WHAT IS A STRAIGHT BET?

A single-game wager using a point spread, total or moneyline.

WHAT IS A TEASER BET?

Combine adjusted spreads across multiple selections in one wager.

WHAT IS A REVERSE WAGER?

Bet two to eight games with wagers placed conditionally on the result before it.

WHAT IS A SIDE?

Choose which team or side of the posted market you expect to cover or win.

WHAT IS A TEAM TOTAL?

Bet whether one team scores over or under the total set by oddsmakers.

WHAT IS BUYING POINTS?

Adjust a point spread to create a more favorable number for your wager.

WHAT IS HALFTIME WAGERING?

Use updated lines during the break to find additional betting opportunities.

WHAT IS A PARLAY?

Combine two or more selections that must all win for the ticket to pay.

WHAT IS A ROUND ROBIN?

Create several smaller parlays from a group of three to eight teams.

WHAT IS A POINT SPREAD?

Bet against the posted spread instead of selecting only the outright winner.

WHAT ARE TOTAL BETS?

Bet on how many points, runs or goals are scored without picking the winner.

WHAT IS A MONEYLINE?

Choose which team wins outright using the price attached to each side.

WHAT IS QUARTER WAGERING?

Bet individual quarters in football and basketball instead of the full game.

WHAT IS FUTURES BETTING?

Wager on season-long outcomes with settlement at the end of the campaign.

NFL GAME PROPS

Bet on in-game events like first score, longest touchdown or total field goals.

NFL TEAM PROPS

Wager on one team’s stats such as total points, sacks or first-half scoring.

nfl player props

Bet on individual performances like passing yards, receptions or anytime touchdowns.

ACROSS THE BOARD BETTING

Cover win, place and show on a single horse with one combined ticket.

BASEBALL FIRST 5 INNINGS

Bet the moneyline, run line or total on just the first five innings.

BASEBALL RUNLINE

Baseball’s version of the spread, with the favorite giving 1.5 runs.

BASEBALL SALAMI

Bet over or under the total runs scored across every game on the day’s slate.

BASEBALL SERIES

Pick which team wins a multi-game series instead of a single game.

BASEBALL TEAM PROPS

Wager on one club’s hits, runs, home runs or other team-level stats.

HEAD TO HEAD GOLF MATCH-UP

Bet which of two golfers posts the better score in a round or tournament.

HOCKEY GRAND SALAMI

Bet over or under the combined goals scored in every NHL game that night.

HOCKEY PERIODS

Wager on the moneyline, puck line or total for a single period.

HOCKEY PROPS

Bet on game, team and player events beyond the standard sides and totals.

MLB ADJUSTED RUN LINE

Move the standard 1.5-run line up or down for a different price.

MLB BASEBALL GAME PROP

Bet on game-level events like first team to score or total extra-base hits.

MLB PLAYER PROPS

Wager on a hitter’s or pitcher’s stats such as strikeouts, hits or home runs.

MLB TEAM PROPS

Bet on one team’s runs, hits, errors or scoring by inning.

NBA GAME PROPS

Bet on in-game outcomes like race to 20 points, overtime or highest-scoring quarter.

NBA PLAYERS PROPS

Wager on points, rebounds, assists, threes and combo stats for individual players.

NBA TEAM PROPS

Bet on a single team’s points, three-pointers or margin of victory.

NCAA BASKETBALL GAME PROP

Bet on college game events like first basket, overtime or total three-pointers.

NCAA BASKETBALL PLAYER PROP

Wager on individual college players’ points, rebounds and assists.

NCAA BASKETBALL TEAM PROP

Bet on one team’s total points, first-half scoring or winning margin.

NHL GAME PROPS

Bet on events like first goal, empty-netter or total power-play goals.

NHL TEAM PROPS

Wager on one team’s goals, shots on goal or period-by-period scoring.

WHAT ARE THREE WAY LINES?

Bet win, lose or draw with the tie as its own option and no push.

WHAT IS A BASEBALL PLAYER PROP?

Wager on an individual player’s hits, RBIs, strikeouts or total bases.

WHAT Is A DAILY DOUBLE

Pick the winners of two consecutive horse races on a single ticket.

WHAT IS A PICK THREE

Select the winners of three straight races for one combined payout.

WHAT IS A QUINELLA

Pick the top two finishers in a race in either order.

WHAT IS A TRIFECTA

Pick the first three finishers in exact order for a bigger payout.

WHAT IS AN EXACTA

Pick the first- and second-place finishers in exact order.

WIN-PLACE-SHOW EXPLAINED

Bet a horse to finish first, top two or top three with different payouts for each.

EXPLORE THE BETTORS GUIDE

Browse more betting strategies, tips and sport-specific wager explanations.

SPORT-SPECIFIC GUIDES

Go deeper with props, alternative lines and specialty markets across every major sport.

FOOTBALL GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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BASKETBALL GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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HOCKEY GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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BASEBALL GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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GOLF GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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HORSE RACING GUIDES

NFL Game Props

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