Live betting in the U.S. is becoming more popular as online sportsbooks continue to proliferate. Live in-play betting is betting on a game that is already in progress. Any changes in a game are reflected in the in-play betting odds.
Placing a live in-play bet
Betting on an in-game line is basically the same as making any other bet. A player will click on the bet and the bet slip will populate. They can enter how much they want to bet and confirm it. In most cases, players place in-play bets from a mobile phone. They can download a mobile casino app that offers casino games and a sportsbook.
If a favorite player is injured, oddsmakers will quickly adjust the real-time odds on which team will win. A save by a goalie or missed 3-pointer will also reflect in the odds. Players have to bet now if they want to place an in-play wager. Otherwise, the odds could quickly shift again. The pay lines can change so quickly that a line may already be gone by the time a bettor wants to place a wager.
Advantages of in-play betting
It is very convenient to be able to place in-play wagers from a mobile phone at any time and from anywhere. This also applies to any other type of sports betting and to playing real casino games.
One of the main advantages of in-play waging is that sportsbooks don’t have time as they do with pregame wagers. With pregame wagers, they can hammer the market into efficiency. Computers that run algorithms can produce great results when it comes to setting odds but in-play odds may not be as accurate as pregame lines. This makes the playing field between bookmakers and players more even. It benefits bettors who only have to watch a single game. Books typically have to shift odds on multiple games at the same time.
In-play betting is available in all the major U.S. sports events, such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Soccer, tennis, and other more niche sports may also feature in-play betting. Most licensed sportsbooks in a state offer in-play sports betting. Most mobile sportsbooks alert users if there’s been line movement. Bettors can easily see if implied odds for an outcome worsen or improve.
Disadvantages of in-play betting
One of the main disadvantages when it comes to in-play betting is time. This is why in-play betting is not common at retail sportsbooks. Bettors may have to restrict their wagers to downtimes such as commercial breaks. It’s almost impossible to find an in-line wager during the game and get to a betting kiosk fast enough to make the bet. Wagering is usually limited to markets such as full-game results taken during halftime.
In-play bets aren’t as prevalent as pregame bets. There may be as many as 200 different types of pregame wagers for an NFL game and only about 80 or so for in-play betting. Wagers on game outcomes are generally more common than on individual player outcomes.
For those looking for make-money ideas, in-play betting is probably not such a good option. The frantic line movements can be overwhelming and it can be hard to pick up when a book overreacts or under-reacts to in-game events. Improving in-play wagering takes time and practice.
