Sports betting has become one of the most accessible forms of gambling these days. This is mostly thanks to the global appeal of sports itself, but also due much to the ease with which you can log onto online sportsbooks. Yet, even though the sportsbooks have streamlined the betting actions themselves, the realm of betting remains somewhat complicated. The very fact that the sportsbook makes a lot of money also means many bettors lose their money very regularly. In the end, you could chalk it up to taking it casually.
Casual bettors – on account of it being a casual hobby – will not research enough to understand the workings of sports betting as much as a pro punter. In fact, success at sports betting starts in the very approach you take to it. Now, one of the biggest questions in this regard is about the two divisive forms of betting. Other than pre-match betting, live or in-play betting has actually become quite prevalent. And like in most facades of betting, there is some amount of nuance which you should address before you approach either. In this article, we will look at major differences between the two. Which, in turn, will dictate how you should go about either of them.
Before we can start looking at the key differences, we must first define the two types of bets. They are quite self-explanatory for the most part. But nevertheless, a demarcation would help a new bettor steer clear of any vagueness.
Sports betting has become one of the most accessible forms of gambling these days. This is mostly thanks to the global appeal of sports itself, but also due much to the ease with which you can log onto online sportsbooks. Yet, even though the sportsbooks have streamlined the betting actions themselves, the realm of betting remains somewhat complicated. The very fact that the sportsbook makes a lot of money also means many bettors lose their money very regularly. In the end, you could chalk it up to taking it casually.
Casual bettors – on account of it being a casual hobby – will not research enough to understand the workings of sports betting as much as a pro punter. In fact, success at sports betting starts in the very approach you take to it. Now, one of the biggest questions in this regard is about the two divisive forms of betting. Other than pre-match betting, live or in-play betting has actually become quite prevalent. And like in most facades of betting, there is some amount of nuance which you should address before you approach either. In this article, we will look at major differences between the two. Which, in turn, will dictate how you should go about either of them.
Before we can start looking at the key differences, we must first define the two types of bets. They are quite self-explanatory for the most part. But nevertheless, a demarcation would help a new bettor steer clear of any vagueness.
Pre-Match Betting
Pre-match betting is, of course, the traditional form of betting. As anyone can guess, pre-match betting pools open a long time before the actual fixture takes place. One could place a bet on a high-profile match about to take place three days later. In fact, one could actually bet on the outcome of a tournament even before the first match in it starts.
In theory, it is possible for you to place bets even several weeks prior to a match or series taking place. The only limiting factor here is how much the sportsbook allows. As we mentioned, you can find a lot of pre-match betting action before popular fixtures. So, what is the upside to this? In the case of pre-match betting, the pool closes before the match begins, so you have to inform your bet well with good research. The upside, of course, is that you can beat out the bookmaker at their own game if your research is more observant. Sportsbooks will always try to balance odds and vigs in a very specific way.
That is they will ensure that they don’t lose money on the whole. But if you find value bets, you can lock in and cash in a good amount of money on high odds. That is primarily because the odds do not fluctuate much in pre-match betting. Of course, they do have the possibility to change in some cases. Suppose a star player gets an injury and sits out a fixture. Such a chance encounter can drastically skew the odds of the upcoming fixture. But in the vast majority of pre-match betting pools, the odds stay stable.
In-Play Betting
The live betting pool only opens after the match has started. This basically means that you can bet at any point of the game. This is possible in something as precise as horse-racing -probably why it is also called ‘in-running betting’. The downside, of course, is that the odds of a bet fluctuate. But if you reconsider all the factors, the fluctuating odds are something you can use to your advantage. Consider the example of horse race betting. If a particular horse starts off slow, and thus falls behind, its chances decrease.
Naturally, its odds will go up. But if you are confident that the horse will catch up, you can lock in on an elevated odds and harvest prizes not possible in pre-match betting. Now, exactly how ‘free’ and ‘flexible’ is in-play betting? This is a question up to debate. Because there are many conditions and clauses for in-play betting. On Betfair, for example, a red card or a penalty in a football match means that the outstanding bets will be cancelled and the market reopened at a less volatile point. Of course, this does not completely diminish the advantages of in-play betting.
The key takeaway is that if you can read matches well and make good snap judgments, in-play betting has a lot in store for you. The difference in attitude is that you have to understand the volatility could go either way. In-play betting is always fun, and on a good day, a way to find value bets on underdogs that are getting ahead. But if you prefer a safer, tame approach to betting, pre-match might be the better option.
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