The odds and the subsequent betting market available are the most important criteria when determining the best sports betting site. This is because, first, betting odds directly impact how much you can win, and second, the market size will impact the sports you can bet on.
Top U.S. betting sites will have a wide array of betting markets. Offering broad coverage of the major sports betting events in the world's leading markets is fundamental to attracting bettors. It should cover different sports, including NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college football, tennis, rugby, college basketball, and cricket. It should also substitute as many regions and continents as possible for a broader market base.
Understanding the importance of odds
Odds vary from online sportsbook to online sportsbook, so you need to understand what these differences might mean to you as a player. The bookmaker sets the odds of what they believe the outcome of an event will be. In short, odds represent the relationship between the wager and the winnings. In some cases, they are described as fractions or as decimals. For example, if the result of an event has odds of 3/1 or 3.00, this means you will win $3 for every $1 you wagered. In other words, the range of betting markets is better on some sites.
Odds can be written in various ways, but most U.S. sportsbooks use American odds. In this system, the favorite is indicated with a - sign. This displays the amount you must wager to win $100. For example, a +250 chance means you will win $250 if you wager $100.
Compare the odds
The odds can look very different when betting on a match that won't receive much attention. Therefore, it is advisable to compare odds with other sportsbooks before placing bets. The top U.S. sportsbook generally offers generous odds for big matches. However, they can be very different in some matches which aren't well known.
The odds and lines available are almost always better than those found in offline betting shops. This is the most significant advantage of this market and could be proven more profitable in the long run. It can even prove to be the difference between a positive or negative balance overall.
Suppose you are committed to getting the best possible value. In that case, you can even sign up on several sites and compare odds whenever you wager on a specific event. The basic rule is that you have as many betting options as possible.
Betting options
It's also important to check the betting options available. Most of the sportsbooks offer a decent odds pricing and a wide range of sports to bet on, but if the bets don't meet your needs, you should be looking for somewhere else to play. The top online sports betting sites will offer a selection of different bets including, but not limited to:
- Prop bets
- Moneyline bets
- Point spreads
- Total under/over
- Futures
- Parlays
Depending on the sport, these bets will vary between online sportsbooks. Not only that, but some online sports betting sites will have more specific options than others but for the major US sports and college sports the betting options will be massive.
If you are looking for less popular sports and college sports it is always wise to give the largest sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel a visit as they tend to offer bets on almost anything. It's, therefore, always worth checking out the betting options available at all online sports betting sites before registering your account.