Props Bets/Specials intro
The online betting space is one that is ever evolving. There is an understanding that the needs of punters change with time and in order to keep them, necessary additions need to be made available as the industry evolves.
One of such additions that has been adapted by a lot of online sportsbooks is the addition of Props bet. In this guide, we will take you through all there is to know about Props Bet. From the basics to the more intricate details, we got you covered.
What are Props Bets/ Special Bets?
Props bets (Proposition bets) are bets that allow punters to stake on other aspects of a game that don’t exactly pertain to the outcome of the game.
These aspects of the game are usually overlooked, but with the popularity of Props Bets in recent times, more people have started to pay attention to it as well.
Gone are those days where betting was just about betting on definitive aspects of the game like “Straight win”, “Double chance” and goal markets. Punters can now stretch their luck by betting on unlikely options that don’t in any way affect the outcome of a game like “Corners” “Goal-scorer” and “card options” to mention but a few.
The origin of Props Bets could be traced to Westgate Las Vegas in the United States. The Sportsbook was the first to offer that much Props bets on a single game. Even though Props Bets majorly started with the Super Bowl, other sports like Football are now known to have a fleet of Props Bets options.
How to Read Prop Odds
Prop bets in recent times have been among the most played bets in most online sportsbooks. There is no magic or special secret behind it. The reason for this is simply because of the potential winnings they promise.
As is the case with everything that seems ‘too good to be true’, there is one major letdown that has surrounded Prob Bets.
Speaking of the above, it hinges largely on the lens of the punter and how ambiguous these bets could tend to be. There are cases where you might wager on a Prop bet thinking you understood the option but it ends up being that you completely got it wrong. If a particular bookmaker are good with words or nail the terms and conditions rightly (which most of us ignore), it could end up looking like they played a fast one on the punters.
With that in mind, we have one advice for you regarding Props Bets and it is rather simple. Make sure you fully understand the options offered clearly before wagering.
Let’s pick one football props and help you understand how it works.
We’ll be going with the special option, ‘Goal in Both Halves’ for reference.
This is a very simple special option to figure out. If you bet on “Yes,” this means you will only be sure of winning when there is at least a goal scored in both halves. Whatever the final outcome of the match becomes won’t affect the validity of your ticket. As long as there is at least a goal in each half, that tip would have come through even if the underdog won the game for that particular match.
In other cases where you find the option a little difficult to understand, it is better to steer clear off that option or simply peruse through the Sportsbook’s FAQ to get a clearer understanding.
Line Movements in Prop Bets
Before a game commences, if you pay close attention to the odds, you will notice some fluctuations. Sometimes, the changes are glaring while other times they could be very inconsequential. These changes that occur in odds are what we call Line Movements. This cuts across all kinds of bets.
The online betting industry is indeed a goldmine. Sportsbook cash in daily because of one advantage they have over the punters; access to information. There is always a reason why an odd would go from one point to another. Most punters are not privy to these factors/reasons which may lead them to betting wrongly on some occasions.
There are a couple of factors that could influence line movements. Some of the key ones are injuries, shock upsets in team news, weather and a whole lot of other factors. As a punter, it would be wise to get your hands on all information that pertains to your game before it starts, so you don’t get easily swayed by the odds hike.
For example, if you feel a certain team could rest their key players for a game ahead of another upcoming clash, it’ll be smart to select your picks based on the probability that they could field a weakened lineup. You might be able to do that before the odds experience any change as well.
So, before you place your bets on that special option, you may want to do your background research to ensure you are on the right path. At the end of the day, luck might come in handy in betting, but you need to do your own due diligence as well.
Do Sportsbooks make money on Prop Bets?
This is a rather dicey question to answer. A straightforward answer might not cut it, when you consider a whole lot of factors. But without thinking too deep, it is easier to assume that Sportsbooks don’t make a killing from Prop bets, considering the uncertainty surrounding them as opposed to the regular bet options.
It might be hard to tell how many corners will be played in a match but it is easier for a sportsbook to predict who may likely win a match and set the odds in their favour.
In essence, when compared to how much sportsbook make on regular bets, one can say they have slimmer chances of making more money with Props Bet.
You may ask, why then do they offer these options? And the answer is simple: to keep the punters happy and supposedly give them a ‘better chance’ of winning. On the flip side, the same uncertainty that surrounds Prop Bets means punters can easily lose on some occasions as well, much to the delight of the sportsbook.
Are Prop Bets a Good Option for New Gamblers?
Prop bets can be such a good option for new punters considering the potential one could make in winnings. Because of the uncertainty surrounding them, the odds are usually higher and can be one route to accumulate huge odds with just a few number of games. This explains the popularity of Prop bets amongst new punters.
However, with betting, it is always advisable to take precautionary measures and test the waters before going all in. So, it is better for a new punter to try their hands on regular bets and stake wisely and build from there to more risky bets like Prop bets. That way, losses are properly managed.
What Kinds of Prop Bets are Available?
There is an extensive array of props to be harnessed by eager bettors. The list is endless. Given how they are widely accepted by bettors, more sportsbooks are being encouraged to include more options, to the satisfaction of the punters.
Here, we will be looking at the 3 main classes of Props widely available across various sportsbooks, which include:
- Player based soccer props
- Goal based soccer props
- Alternative props
Player Based Soccer Props
With these soccer props, the bettor is betting on an event that pertains to players alone. It could be on one player or more. There is a wide array of player based soccer props offered by most top tier sportsbooks. However, there are a few that are a recurring decimal.
One of the most popular Player based soccer props is Player to Score a Goal at Any Time. As you can see in the screenshot below culled from 1xbet, the odds tend to be higher for those players that are highly unlikely to score a goal in the match. To further buttress that point, the odds for Joshua Kimmich to score for Bayern would be almost double that of a certain Polish forward that scores for fun in Robert Lewandowski.
The above option is quite self-explanatory. Whenever a player you chose to score, scores, your bet is valid. However if the player you select doesn’t score and you selected the “Yes” option, you have lost that bet.
There are also other common Prop options like which player will score last goal, which player will score last goal, which player will be the man of the match, etc.
Goal Based Soccer Props
There are more Goal based soccer props offered by sportsbooks than any other kind of soccer props. Hence, punters get to enjoy a wide variety of mouthwatering options to pick from.
Here, we will be looking at the common ones.
Goal Interval
It is rather impossible to predict the actual time a goal will be scored in a match, but it is more realistic to predict the time range a goal will be scored. This option allows you to bet on that.
As you can see from the image above, one can bet for or against a particular goal interval. It is mostly expected that the odds for 0-15 minutes goal interval to be the highest, given that goals are mostly harder to come by just at the very start of a game. However, if you’ve studied a certain team that have a thing for quick starts, it could come as a value pick to back them for an early goal.
Team to Score Last Goal
Here, the bettor is allowed the privilege to predict which team gets to score the last goal of the match.
As you can see in the screenshot above, there are three possibilities in this option. The first is that the home team will score the last goal. The second is that the away team will score the last goal. While the last is that neither team will score. It is a no brainer why the odds for the No goal option is higher, considering how risky it is compared to the other options.
Total Goals in Each Half
Here, the punter is given the choice to decide the number of goals that will be scored in each half.
If you select the Over 1.5 option in each half, what that implies is that you are expecting to have at least two goals in each half for the bet to be valid. For the Under 1.5 option in each half, you are expecting to have below two goals in each half for the bet to be valid.
First Goal Time
In this case, you are betting on the time range you want the first goal of be scored. It is very straightforward.
There are three possibilities in this option, for the first goal to be scored in between 1-33 minutes, 34-90 minutes, or for no goal to be scored throughout the match.
We could go on and on with a number of goal based soccer props but Rome wasn’t built in a day and we possibly can’t cover all in this article as well. Fair enough, right? However, the ones briefly discussed above are some of the widely popular ones amongst top sportbooks.
Alternative Props
These refer to props that are dependents on other events as opposed to the other classes discussed so far. In this case, the bets are only based on the one time outcome of a rather exclusive event or an event with a broad range of possibilities, such as with transfers.
Some common examples of alternative bets are ‘Will an English team will the champions league?’ ‘which club will a player play for in the next season’ and many more.
Over and Under Examples
Props bets like other forms of regular bets come in variety. The Over and Under markets are simply determined by the quantity in terms of Over and Under.
The Over/Under 1.5 goals in each half is a clear example, amongst the wide variety of over and under props available.
Tips and Strategy Advice
It is easy to get caught up in the frenzy and not follow due diligence when it comes to betting on Props. Frankly speaking, the odds are mouth-watering, so it’s no surprise every newbie wants to try it out. It would suffice to know that to be successful with betting, you have to be more strategic.
Below are some helpful tips you should have at the back of your mind as you go about betting on Props.
- Understand in clear terms what the prop means and its conditions before wagering on it.
- Wager on props that are not so dependent on chance. For example when you bet on player props, you tend to bet from a more informed perspective, because you would have known each player’s form and know who is likely to be a top performer in the match.
- If you must bet on props that are highly dependent on chance, bet wisely. Don’t go all in and lose the kind of money you can’t afford to lose on chance.
Summary
Prop bets have come to stay. Virtually every top Sportsbook there is out there have adapted them into their offers and so far, there is a commendable reception of these kind of bets from punters.
FAQ
Yes, though football gets to have a bulk of the prop options, there is still quite a bunch available on other sports selection too.
None is. It just depends on your preference.
For the most part, yes.
Football analyst! Biggest fan of local and international football. Mostly, loves keeping an eye on the upcoming players, always trying to bring debate on youngsters’ potential of becoming the next big thing in the world of football and of, course writing some pieces about them.
