Live online betting, also known as “in-game” or “in-play” betting, is the newest take on traditional sports betting. What makes live betting sites different is that the action doesn’t close at the beginning of the game. Instead, new wagers are posted as the game progresses.
Late to the game and still want to bet? Change your mind after the opening play? That’s no problem at live sports betting websites. You can place wagers after the official start time at constantly updated odds. The biggest in play betting sites keep you in on the action all the way to the final buzzer.
Best In-Play Sports Betting Sites
Any bookmaker wishing to remain competitive offers live betting on all the biggest matchups. You can still place wagers before the games, but now there are additional options once the match gets underway.
Live betting sites make for a much more intimate betting experience. You can watch the game live and make quick decisions as the action unfolds. Some of the best live betting sites even stream matchups free of charge so you can watch the game live in one window and place your bets in another.
Both serious punters and casuals alike benefit from the addition of live betting. For the serious gambler, in-play wagers present new opportunities. The format rewards quick decision-making over hours of in-depth research. If you’re good at spotting opportunities, it is possible to get an edge over live in-play bookmakers.
Action junkies are rewarded with an ever-changing lineup of open bets. Placing a bet and then watching the game is fun and all, but it’s a whole new world when you watch a game in real time and have new wagers pop up every few minutes. It makes for an experience that just sucks you in and doesn’t let you go. And on that note, live in-game betting should be avoided if you have a problem saying no.
New opportunities present themselves all the time with so many in play wagers constantly being updated across a wide range of sports. If you have an account open at a couple of live betting websites, it becomes even more apparent that not all oddsmakers come to the same conclusions at the same time. Whenever you have that much disparity in the odds, there are opportunities to jump in and make good bets.
You’ll need to make the most of every advantage. First, open an account with several in play sports betting sites. Watch the game live and keep your tabs open. It takes some time to get used to processing so much information with limited time, but you’ll learn to spot opportunities as the odds update across different live betting sites.
If you haven’t yet had tried your hand at live sports betting, it’s definitely worth a shot. It enhances the experience immensely. As you watch the game unfold before you, spot new wagers, make quick decisions and see instant results, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
Basic Live Betting Tips
If you want to preserve your bankroll and earn a potential return on your investment, you’ll need to treat in-running betting with all the reverence you would show to traditional sports betting.
In-game sports betting requires a unique approach because you simply don’t have the time for in-depth research. You can expect to see greater variance as due to both the time constraints and the types of wagers that you see at live betting site.
Sports betting sites still offer straight-up wagers on the outcome of the game at live odds, but there are also wagers on one-time instances such as how the next penalty kick/at-bat/red zone situation will play out. These instances are “smaller” in overall terms and are subject to a greater degree of luck. Because of this greater element of variance, it is better to place multiple small live wagers than to place fewer, larger wagers.
Do Your Research Before the Game
Collect your stats, check each team’s recent form and familiarize yourself with each team’s strengths, weaknesses and key players.
Understanding each team’s starting point before the game will help you make sense of what happens once the game actually gets underway. This way, you’ll know if each team is living up to its expectations as the action unfolds.
Even the best-laid plans can and do go belly-up once the action gets underway, but your traditional research acts as a nice base for the rest of the game. It is always better to go in over-prepared than underprepared. Do your research before the game so you can go in with confidence and a reference point.
Expect High-Variance
Live in-game sports betting is a high-variance activity. No amount of research can fully prepare you for short term wagers on one-off events such as the next at-bat, scoring drive or few minutes of play. Live sports bets naturally have more variance because it’s just so darned difficult to predict how an individual player will perform or how a few minutes of game time will play out.
The proper adjustment is to place smaller in-play wagers.
You’ll minimize the impact of variance by placing a bunch of smaller wagers rather than dumping all your money into one or two live bets. In a way, live betting is like poker. Your skill shines over the course of many small decisions. Anything can happen in a single instance, but your advantage really makes itself known over the long term.
Know Your Markets
Resist the urge to dabble in sports you don’t know as well. Stick to live betting tips and predictions that you know.
Intimate knowledge of the game will help you make quick decisions, anticipate reactions to in-game developments and place more profitable wagers. Your bankroll will thank you for playing to your specialty.
For example, if you know that one team consistently starts slow but always picks up speed in the later stages, you’ll be better prepared to take advantage when that team falls behind and the odds shift away from the underdog.
This is a perfect opportunity to back the underdog at favorable odds. The only way you can expect to capitalize on these situations is to stick to what you know.
How Live Sports Betting Odds React
Live betting takes a totally different route in terms of how odds react when a market is in-play. The market basically will change depending on circumstances in the match or race that will have an effect on the overall result. Some fluctuations may be minor whilst other factors will result in larger fluctuations.
The important thing is to understand why markets and more importantly live sports odds change.
Momentum in Live Sports Betting Markets
Momentum occurs when one variable – a team or player – begins to gain the upper hand on their opponents. As they do so, and so the momentum shifts in their favour, the live sports betting odds will react accordingly allowing punters to then bet on a certain scenario.
Momentum is one of the largest factors when it comes to in-game odds fluctuation and is something that can be exploited on the live betting scene. Throughout this article we will be looking at how you can factor in momentum to not only make profitable bets but also anticipate any potential odds changes before then assessing the market.
Momentum Changes Affect In-Game Odds
Before any match or game starts online bookmakers will set a price on how they think the outcome of that market will likely play out, factoring a host of different variables including form, head to head battles and what’s at stake for each player or team.
As the market goes live these factors will be less accountable for and what you will see is the odds change to how that game or race pans out. The major attribute to odds change comes in the form of the momentum for either side.
Mike Murphy is the founder of OnlineBettingSites.com and has over 10 years of experience in the legal online betting industry. A regular attendee of industry trade shows and conferences, Mike is a strong proponent of regulated markets and responsible gambling policies.