Types of Sports Bets and Market Explained

Betting has a simple rule; you win or lose. You may ask, "but how come some punters appear to make profits consistently, while the majority continue to incur losses in the same manner"? Well, the simple answer is that effective and profitable betting needs a sound strategy as well as a deep understanding of the factors that make up sports betting. On this page, we will be focusing on the other factors that make up sports betting that you NEED to understand. However, to find out more about effective betting strategies, you can key into our BETTING STRATEGY page to see which one suits you best. 

One of the most important factors that make up sports betting that you need to understand perfectly are the numerous bet types and markets. You may be thinking "this will definitely stress me out," don't worry, we will explain all you need to know on this page, while structuring it in such a way that you will find it easier to understand. 

There is no doubt that sports betting needs top knowledge for YOU to succeed on a significant scale. So, in order to make sure we do not wear you out with any sort of mumbo jumbo, we solely focus on football. The round leather game is the most popular in the world, it is loved by Africans and is the most gambled sport in existence.  

You might also be interested in:

• Statistical analysis of the 2021/22 season + past 5 seasons
• Betting tips based on the 2021/22 analysis
• Betting strategies
• Betting odds and oddskey

Types of Sports Betting by Time

Like many other aspects of betting, bets are of different types and forms. So, before you venture fully into sports betting, YOU need to understand each of these bet types to give yourself more ammunition to make money. Below, we list out the bet types by time we have with adequate explanation. We will also provide real life examples to make you understand the point better. 

Pre-match Betting 

Imagine that you want to bet for the first time and you casually dig around on the web for one of the best bookmakers available in your location. You visit the website, register and fund your account with some amount of money. Then, when you get to the main betting area, you come across the odds and they are static, not moving frequently, and also the time indicated for the matches to start are still some hours or days away, that there is pre-match betting. 

In short, pre-match betting involves placing your stakes on matches or events that have not yet started. The match could be starting in a few minutes, a few hours, a few days or even months. So far it has not yet started, it is known as pre-match betting. Pre-match betting is one of the most traditional and earliest bet types in sports betting. It has been around for like forever, and it is most likely to continue to be so. 

As an example, let's assume that you wish to place a bet on a Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United. The match is to begin at 4:00 GMT. If you head over to your Sportsbook, and place your bet before 4:00 GMT, then you have made a pre-match bet. 

Pre-match betting has a lot of advantages and one of the key ones is that it gives you time to research extensively on the teams that you want to stake your money on. You can patiently look at the statistics, head to head, current form, their game model and other invaluables before deciding on which betting market or option to put your money on. 

Live betting (In-play)

Live betting is the grand opposite of pre-match betting. It is placed on games that have already started, hence the name, in-play betting. Let's assume that you want to stake a bet on the Spanish La Liga giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid. The match is slated to start at 7:00 GMT, but due to unforeseen circumstances, you were unable to place your bet before the time the match started. 

Your inability to place your bet before the match started does not mean that you can't stake on the match anymore. You could simply switch to live betting and place your stakes on whatever betting option you prefer. 

However, live betting is not only useful for those who were unable to stake before kick off. There are lots of punters who focus solely on live-betting due to different reasons. Live betting has a lot of ADVANTAGES for you. 

One of the biggest advantages is that it gives YOU the opportunity to study the game flow before making your decisions. With live betting, YOU have the opportunity to make your predictions from the first minute of the game till the last.  

It is important to know that the odds presented during live betting are not static. They are dynamic as they reflect the events happening during the course of a game. For example, if club A and B are in a tightly contested match and club A receives a red card, the odds will be adjusted a bit to favour club B who are now at an advantage due to their opponent's reduced numbers. 

Antepost Or Outright Betting

Are you the very patient type who prefers to play the long game? Then you may have come across some betting types where you need to stake on the entirety of events or competitions rather than isolated matches or games. 

This is known as ante post betting, outright betting or futures betting. They are a specific category of wagers that are placed well in advance to the time the competition or event would start. You could place an ante post wager days, weeks, months or even years before the event starts. 

The rewards for ante post betting is huge. This is because you are staking bets on events that are not starting immediately or you are staking on the entirety of a competition. There are many variables that may make your bet fail, which is why bookmakers reward this form of betting handsomely. 

Let's take a typical example of antepost betting to further enable you to understand the concept. At the time of this publication, the 2023/2024 Premier League season is already in its final stages with Arsenal performing well. As a punter, you could decide to stake on Arsenal winning the competition next season which would be the 2024/2025 season. 

Considering the fact that a lot can happen between the time you are staking the bet and the time the 2024/25 competition starts. Arsenal could face an unusual amount of injuries or their players could ensure a long loss of form. Some players may even be sold or their manager, Mikel Arteta may decide to leave the club for other big clubs. There is also the possibility of burnout and the players not playing to the peak of their abilities. 

These are variables that are not in your control and you don't know how the bet would eventually go. Considering the huge risk this bet on Arsenal encompasses, the odds on offer would no doubt be impressive and you have the chance to a FAT PAYOUT if your bet pulls through. 

Sports Bet Types By Number Of Events

Apart from the Bet types by time, another category of bet types is by the number of events. Some of the most common types in this category include; single bets, accumulator bets, and system bets. Here, we will break down each of these betting types and provide real life examples that will help you understand how each one of them works.

Single Bet

A single bet is a straightforward bet. As the name "SINGLE" implies, this is a wager you place on the outcome of a SINGLE event or match. Take for instance you place a bet on an upcoming Premier League match between Newcastle United and Chelsea, you may predict that Chelsea will win, you may also decide on Newcastle as the game winner. Staking on this match ONLY would qualify as a single bet. 

Multiple Bet (Accumulator Bet)

An accumulator bet is also known as a multiple bet. From it's name, we can classify this type of bet as one that combines multiple selections into one wager. For you to win an accumulator bet, all the events you have selected within the bet must win except the bookmaker offers you SPECIAL features like "Flex" or "Cut One" where a lesser number of selections could win. 

One advantage an accumulator bet has over a single bet is that the potential payout for an accumulator bet is typically higher than that of a single bet. This is because the odds for each selection are multiplied together to determine your PAYOUT. 

For example, after careful research, consideration and permutations, you place a bet on seven football matches from different or same leagues. If your bet wins and all selected teams carry out the outcome of your prediction, you would win the accumulator bet and receive the combined payout.

System Bet

A system bet is a more complex type of bet. It involves placing multiple bets on a selection of outcomes. A system bet allows for a lot of flexibility, one of which is that not all your selections need to win for you to receive a payout. Sounds great right!!! You may be wondering "how can I win a payout if all my selections don't win?" Don't worry, we'll explain to you here. 

Just like an accumulator bet, a system bet needs multiple selections but with a difference. Accumulator bets need all staked events to be successful, while system bet does not need all selections to win to be successful. This is because a system bet comprises of different combinations of the selections you have chosen. Thus, you have created several smaller bets within the bet slip. 

One of the benefits a system bet has over others bet types is that it offers a good balance between risk and reward, as you have some flexibility in terms of how many selections you need to win.

Main Types of Betting Markets

Many times, you have come across many bookmakers advertising with the phrase "huge betting market available," but have you wondered what the betting market really means? While we understand that you know the markets, we will let you understand what they actually mean.  

Betting markets point to a specific type or category of bet with each of them having specific odds attached to them. Betting markets provide a wide range of options for punters to wager on, from simple match results to more specific outcomes like either team to win, total goals scored, player to score, and many more. 

Each betting market offers a unique opportunity for YOU to use your predicting skills to make more successful bets. As usual with us at Betting Tips Africa, we will cover a large number of betting markets to further enhance your understanding of them. 

Adequate knowledge of what each market represents will open an avenue of options for you to capitalise on. Ready to explore? Don't worry, we've got you covered with a diverse range of markets to boost your betting needs. You'll also have real-life examples to illustrate them. 

Match Result (1X2)

The 1X2 betting option, also known as three-way betting is the most traditional betting market in sports betting. This market allows you to easily choose between supporting a home win, a draw, or an away victory. This type of bet is commonly used in matches where a draw is a possible outcome. 

Simply put, the Match result market (1x2) refers to the outcome of a match between two teams. The options are; home win (1), a draw (X), or an away victory (2). 

For instance, let's say there is a Champions League match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The game is to be played at Barcelona's Stadium (The Camp Nou) which means Barcelona is at home (1), and Bayern Munich is away from home (2). If the home side, Barcelona wins the match, the result will be represented as 1. If the match ends in a draw, the result will be represented as X, and if Bayern Munich defeats Barca, the result will be represented as 2. 

So, if the final score of the match is Barcelona (1 - 4) Bayern Munich, the match result (1x2) would be (2), indicating an away win.

Either Team To Win (12)

Either team to win (12) is a type of betting market in which you win if either team wins the match, regardless of the final score. In this type of bet, you are predicting that either the home or away team will win with no possibility of a draw.

Let's use a La Liga game as an example. Let's say the Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is coming up and you wish to stake on this game. You login to your bookmaker and the odds for either team to win (12) is 2.75. If you place a bet of $100 on either team to win and one of them emerges victorious, you will bank $100 x 2.45 = $245. On the other hand, if a draw should occur at the end of the game, your bet is lost. 

Over/Under 

In this market, YOU are simply betting on a total combined points or goals in a game to be under a  specified number set by the bookmaker. Here, the total set value could be OVER (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 etc) or UNDER (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 etc).

If the actual total points or goals exceed the specified number set by the sportsbook, the "Over" bets win. But if the actual total points or goals fall below the predefined number, the "Under" bets win. For example, let's say there is an upcoming match between Arsenal and Chelsea. You may believe that there will be more than one goal in the game in which case you have to stake on Over 1.5. 

Subsequently, you stake on the appropriate number according to the number of goals you think will be scored. The same applies for the under market, however, the under stands for less than. So if you think Arsenal and Chelsea would score less than two goals, you play under 2.5. 

P.S: The goals can be scored by any team. It doesn't matter if it's Team A or B scoring, unless stated otherwise by the bookmaker. 

Both Teams To Score (BTTS)

The BTTS betting market is quite straightforward due to its name. BTTS is quite popular, and it is a type of bet in which you can place your bet on whether both teams in a match will score at least one goal each. 

The BTTS is an exciting type of bet that adds an extra level of interest to a match, especially if you are neutral and looking for some action in the game. This bet is most popular in football matches, but it can also be applied to other sports events like rugby and basketball.

Take for instance you stake a "both teams to score" bet on a Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester City. If the match ended 2-1 in favour of either team, your bet would win as both teams scored. However, if the final score is 1-0 in favour of Manchester City, your bet would be a loser as only one team scored.

You should also note that the final score does not matter as long as both teams have scored at least one goal each.

Correct Score

The correct score is a type of bet in which YOU have to correctly predict the actual final score of a football match or any other sporting event. 

In sports betting, the correct score bet is very difficult to win as YOU MUST correctly predict both the winning team and the exact final score of the match. Let's take the 2024 Chelsea v Manchester United's recent Premier League clash in which a close associate staked on as an example. 

He placed a correct score bet on Manchester United to win 3-2. His bet almost won until Ex-Manchester City player Cole Palmer scored two goals at stoppage time to make it 4-3 in favour of Chelsea and ruined the bet. If the score had remained the same as it was in the 98th minute, the bet would have been won as United were leading 3-2 late into the game. But, Palmer had other ideas!!! Such heartache!! 

One interesting fact about correct score bets is that they typically have high odds due to their low probability of occurrence. They result in high payouts if you GET IT RIGHT. 

Handicap Betting 

The handicap bet has been a source of confusion for newbie punters for a long time. If you are among this category of punters or you just have one or two issues with it, don't worry, you are on the right page. We will break down the handicap betting to allow you to understand.  

According to the dictionary, the word "handicap" means "a disadvantage placed on a superior competitor in sports." So, a Handicap bet is a type of bet where one team is given a virtual disadvantage or advantage to level the playing field between the two teams before the game starts. This means that the perceived stronger team starts with a deficit in your bet, while the perceived weaker team starts with an advantage.

The Handicap bet is of two types, positive and negative handicap. We will explain each of them below:

• Positive Handicap (+)

In this case, the weaker team is given an advantage before the game begins. Take for example, we all know that Barcelona will most likely beat Granada CF. Even their head to head statistics back it. At the time of this writing, both teams have played 21 games, with Barcelona winning 15 and Granada winning 3. The remaining 3 ended in a draw. 

So if both teams were to play, you could give Granada a +1.5 goal handicap. This means that Granada starts the game with a one-goal advantage. Now, for a bet to be considered win in this case, Brentford has to either win, draw, or lose by less than 1.5 goals.

• Negative Handicap (-)

In a negative handicap, the stronger team is given a virtual deficit before the game begins. Let's continue with the aforementioned example. In this case, it is Barcelona that will be given a -1.5 goal handicap against Granada. This means that the Blaugrana starts the game with a 1.5 goal deficit.

So, for the bet to win, Barcelona has to win by more than 1.5 goals. The aim with handicap betting is to make the odds of winning the bet even between the two teams. Also, YOU must be STRATEGIC in your handicap betting option.

Odd/Even

This may be a bit funny, but here's some basic mathematics for you! What are odd numbers and even numbers? The odd/even market contains bets where you predict whether the total number of goals in a particular match will be an odd number or an even number. 

Odd/Even bet is a popular type of wager, and it is much loved due to its simplicity and the sweet odds it provides. This type of bet is commonly found in sports like football and basketball, but it can also be applied to other types of events such as casino games or lottery draws. 

Corner Kicks

Simply put, corner bets are wagers placed on the total number of corner kicks that will be awarded during a football match. 

There are many types of corner bets but here are a few examples you can place on a football match:

• Over/Under

This is the most popular type of corner bet where the sportsbook decides a number for the total corners in a match, and bettors can bet on whether there will be more or fewer corners than that number. For instance, if Bet9ja sets the number at 10.5, you can bet if there will be more or fewer than 10 corners in the match.

• Total Corner Kicks By A Team

In this type of corner bet, you can gamble on the total number of corner kicks that a specific team will earn during the match. Now, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City is a team that suffocates their opponents hard with their intense pressing, incredible attacking play and Juego de Posición. Through this, they get lots of corners. In the 2022/23 season, the Cityzens won about 238 corners in the Premier League alone. So, you can bet on whether Manchester City will have over or under 10.5 corner kicks in their next game.

• First/Last Corner Kick

This bet involves predicting which team will be awarded the first or last corner kick of the match. While it seems easy, many punters lose their bet to the corner kick market. To ensure you are successful, research the teams involved, their playing styles, and historical corner-kick statistics before you wager on this type of bet. 

Cards

With the cards market, YOU can stake bets on the number of yellow or red cards shown to players during a particular match. 

For example, in a football match, YOU may decide to place a bet on the total number of yellow or red cards shown during the game. Now, if you bet CORRECTLY by predicting the number, you win. Anything otherwise and you LOSE.  

Draw No Bet (DNB) 

The DNB is a type of bet that cancels out the fear of a draw. It is often preferred by bettors who want to reduce the risk of losing their stake in case of a draw. 

Draw No Bet is a type of bet in which the exact amount you stake on a match is refunded if the match ends in a draw. This means that if the team you bet on wins, you will win the bet, but if the match ends in a draw, you will get your stake back.

For instance, let's assume you place a Draw No Bet of $100 on Manchester City to beat Leicester City in a premier league match. If City wins, you will win the bet and receive a payout. However, if the match ends in a draw, the amount of money you stake, which is $100, will be refunded.

Half-time/Full-time

In sports betting, the Half-time/Full-time betting market consists of wagers in which YOU have to predict both the outcome of a match at half-time and at full-time. This means that YOU must correctly predict which team will be winning or if the match will end in a draw at both half-time and full-time.

If you want to stake on the Halftime/Fulltime market, the most likely options/possible outcomes you will have include: 

• Team A/Team A

This means that YOU are predicting Team A to be winning at both half-time and full-time.

• Team A/Draw

This means you are banking on Team A to be winning at half-time, but the match will end in a draw.

• Team A/Team B

Here, you are predicting that Team A will be winning at half-time, but Team B will eventually win the match at full-time.

• Draw/Team A

If you stake on this, you're essentially saying that the match will be a draw at half-time, but Team A will win at full-time.

• Draw/Draw

This means that the match will be a draw at both half-time and full-time. For instance, 0-0 at halftime, and 1-1 at full-time.

This type of bet often offers higher odds than other match result bets because it is more difficult to predict both the half-time and full-time results correctly. So, if you predict the half-time and full-time results correctly, then you will win the bet, however, if you get one or both predictions wrong, you lose the bet. 

Multi-Score

The concept of multi-score is a betting market where a player predicts multiple specific scores in a single match. For the bet to be successful, the bettor must correctly predict if the final score of the match would be within the range of his selection. 

Multi-score bets are challenging to win compared to other traditional bets because they require a high level of accuracy in predicting specific outcomes. For instance, if you bet on a football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, you could select that the match would end 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 in favour of Real Madrid. 

If the match ends as a 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 for Madrid, then the bet wins. However, if it ends in a score different from the range picked, let's say 3-2, then the bet is lost. You can also predict that the final score will be 2-1 in favour of Real Madrid and the halftime score will be 1-0 for Barcelona. So, multi scores are also quite flexible. 

First Team/Last Team To Score 

The betting market is very large, and another way to make money is to wager on the First Team/Last Team To Score market. Here, you can wager on which team will be the first or last to score in a match. 

For example, if Liverpool were to play against Manchester United, I could predict that Liverpool would score the first goal of the game. If it happens, I win the bet, but if United score first, the bet is lost. Same logic applies to Last Team To Score. 

Player To Score 

This betting market is also referred to as the "Goalscorer" market. This market is quite straightforward, as the name already implies. It is a type of bet where you can predict which specific player will score a goal in a particular match. 

If Brazil were to play against Argentina in the Copa America tournament, I may place a bet on Neymar Jr to bag a goal during the match. If the mesmerising Brazilian attacker scores during the match, the bet would be considered a winning bet and I will receive my payout. 

Player To Receive A Card

Remember that there is a "CARDS" betting market, which we discussed earlier? In this market, we can bet on a specific player to receive a card (either yellow or red) during a match. This market would require you to do your research WELL. Some players are quite aggressive on the pitch and get penalised with cards for different reasons. These kinds of players are likely to win you a payout.  

First-half/Second-half Double Chance

In this market, YOU can choose two of the three possible outcomes of a match (win, draw or lose), with each outcome corresponding to a specific half of the game.

Take for example, you are placing a first-half/second-half double chance bet on a football match between Arsenal and Chelsea. The possible outcomes for each half could be: "Arsenal to win," "Chelsea to win," or "Draw."

If you choose Arsenal to win in the first half and draw in the second half, you would win the bet if the Gunners are leading at halftime and the match ends in a draw. In the same vein, if you choose Arsenal to win in the first half and Chelsea to win in the second half, you would win the bet if Chelsea completed a comeback to win the game.

Summary

When it comes to sports betting, there are a variety of options that can earn you your HUGE PAYOUT. With every modern upgrade, sports betting has now evolved into a money making machine, and new ways are invented to help you win more. The new ways involve numerous bet types and bet markets for you to choose from. Each offering has its unique opportunities for you to WIN more. 

To take advantage of this new money making avenue, we have outlined numerous bet types and markets on this page to ensure you are well-informed. So, just scroll up, read through, and decide which bet type or market YOU wish to TARGET for your next PAYOUT. After all, our main objective on Betting Tips Africa is to WIN you more MONEY. 

Our Predictions:

Overview Predictions at bettingtipsafrica.com