New to online sports betting? You’re in the right place. Too many beginners waste money ‘learning the ropes’ the hard way — but we’re here to help you skip the mistakes. This step-by-step guide is designed for first-time bettors ready to get started, as well as seasoned players looking to sharpen their strategy.
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS
50% bonus up to $250Play NowT&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
50% bonus up to $250Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS 125% up to $3,125Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
50% up to $200Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
200% up to $1,000Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
Sports Betting For Beginner Bettors
Sports Betting 101
If you're looking for a more detailed breakdown of specific odds and how to actually place bets, we have that for you here. This space is more about prepping your approach. Making money is all about maintaining a clear, intelligible, deliberate philosophy. There must be a rhyme and reason to everything you do. And we're about to lay out the most effective path to success, by breaking down everything you could possibly need to know.
Understanding Sports Betting Odds
Moneyline Bets
Moneyline bets involve picking a straight out winner of a given competition. That's it.
Odds are divided into two categories: favorites and underdogs. Favorites are marked with a minus sign (–), showing how much you need to wager to win $100 in profit. Underdogs are marked with a plus sign (+), showing how much profit you’ll make on a $100 bet.
For example, consider this NBA line: New York Knicks (+350) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (–400). A $100 bet on the Knicks would return $350 in profit if they win. On the other hand, to profit $100 from the Bucks, you’d need to risk $400
The Point Spread
Reading and interpreting point spreads isn't particularly difficult. While they sometimes entail selecting a winner, you're actually more so trying to predict a margin of victory or loss.
These odds are once again split into favorites and underdogs. Favorites are again represented by a minus sign. This lets you know how much they must win by in order to cover the point spread. Underdogs are, once more, highlighted by a plus sign. This number tells you how close they must come to winning for them to cover.
Let's stick with our example from before, but move to the point spread: Knicks (+9.5) vs. Bucks (-9.5). In this case, if the Knicks lose by fewer than nine points or win, they will have covered. Conversely, the Bucks need to beat New York by at least 10 points to cover their end.
The Over/Under
Betting the over/under isn’t about picking a winner—it’s about predicting the total combined score of the game.
For example, if the over/under for a Knicks–Bucks matchup is set at 222.5, an under bet wins if the teams combine for 222 points or fewer. An over bet wins if the total reaches 223 or higher.
Types of Bets
Single Bets
This is self-explanatory. Single bets amount to placing just one wager. It can be on a moneyline, point spread, the over/under, a prop or a future. But it won't be tied to anything. Even if you're submitting multiple wagers on your bet slip, none of them will be tied together. They will all stand alone.
Parlay Bet
When building a parlay bet, you are combining two or more outcomes into a single wager. For example, you might pair three moneylines, or mix two moneylines with a point spread. You can combine almost any betting markets you like.
The catch? Every pick in your parlay must win for the bet to cash. If you build a four-leg parlay and hit three but miss one, the entire ticket loses. While this raises the risk, it also boosts the potential payout—parlays offer bigger returns than betting each outcome separately.
Prop Bets
What are prop bets? The truth is, they can cover almost anything.
In general, prop bets focus on smaller, specific outcomes within a game rather than the final score. For example, in a hypothetical matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, you might see props such as:
- The over/under on passing yards for Dallas’ quarterback
- Which player will score the first touchdown
- Whether the opening coin toss lands on heads or tails
- How long the National Anthem will last before kickoff
- Point spreads, totals, or moneylines limited to a single half or quarter
And that’s just the beginning—prop markets can range from skill-based stats to completely random events. Their odds are displayed in the same formats you see elsewhere: moneylines, spreads, and totals
Future Bets
On future bets, you will be asked to forecast outcomes against a larger field—division, conference, whole league, etc.—months in advance of the actual finish. Pretty much all of these bets come against the moneyline.
Take a look at some hypothetical Super Bowl odds for 2026:
- Kansas City Chiefs (+450)
- San Francisco 49ers (+500)
- Baltimore Ravens (+650)
- Dallas Cowboys (+900)
- Philadelphia Eagles (+1200)
Each of these teams pays out better than 1-to-1. That’s typical in futures markets, since every franchise is competing against 31 others for the Lombardi Trophy.
Odds also shift when you narrow the field to a division or conference. In those cases, your bet is on a smaller pool of teams, but the principle is the same: your wager only cashes if your pick wins the division, conference, or Super Bowl outright. If they fall short, the bet is lost.
Pro tip: place futures bets before the season starts. That’s when odds are usually most generous and widely available.
Round Robin Bets
Some people are intimidated by round-robin bets. You needn't be. They are simply a series of mini parlays you bet under the umbrella of one lump sum that covers every possible two-team combination.
Let's say you're looking at the following three-point spreads: Dallas Cowboys (-3), Seattle Seahawks (+2.5) and Arizona Cardinals (+5.5). By creating a round-robin ticket, you'll place three wagers on two-team combinations: Dallas-Seattle, Dallas-Arizona and Arizona-Seattle.
Sure, you could parlay all three. But after doing this, you've raised the stakes from the individual bets, but you've also protected yourself against one single outcome ruining a three-team parlay.
Betting Strategies for Beginners
Not all betting strategies are suited for gambling novices. Concepts such as arbitrage betting and matched betting are best left explored by those who have been around the block a few times. That said, there are a couple of standout blueprints newbies should consider trying...
Parlay of Heavy Favorites
Even the biggest favorites can lose, but some matchups make an upset seem almost impossible. These are the kinds of moneylines you’ve probably seen before: maybe the Kansas City Chiefs at –750 or the Los Angeles Lakers at –550. Heavy favorites are situations where the win probability is sky-high.
On their own, these bets don’t pay much. Wagering $750 on the Chiefs at –750 would only net $100 in profit. But if you combine several heavy favorites into a parlay, you can boost your potential return to better than even money while still leaning on strong favorites
Underdog Betting Strategy
Working underdog moneylines is all about trying to capitalize on potentially huge payouts.
Perhaps you browse the latest NFL odds and see that the New York Giants are a +650 to win against the heavily favored Green Bay Packers. Turning a $650 profit for every $100 you risk is tantalizing, but the odds also suggest there is a very little chance of that happening.
It's a different story if you actually believe the Giants have a much better than the expected shot at squeaking out a victory. Maybe Green Bay's quarterback is questionable with an injury and you don't believe he'll be too effective even if he does play. Or perhaps you've seen lines at other sportsbooks that paint New York as a shorter underdog. Whatever the case, if you can spot long-shot outcomes that you actually believe in, you can play for higher possible returns than if you placed singular investments in favorites.
Betting Sites Guide for Sports Betting
We have reviewed all the best offshore sportsbooks in the industry. Our mission is simple. We have no ulterior motives. We only aim to honestly evaluate every betting destination to ensure you have the best online gambling experience possible by grading every aspect of the process out of 10 points.
Bovada
Only one Bovada category grades lower than an eight out of 10 in our book. Their reputation speaks for itself.
MyBookie
In all honestly, MyBookie has a lot of ground to make up when looking at their website usability and their bonus offerings. They make up for it, however, with strong betting markets and solid customer support.
BetOnline
Holy bonuses. If you enjoy promotional money with which to gamble, then BetOnline is certainly a place for you.
BetNow
Few sportsbooks cover all the bases as well as BetNow. In particular, their customer service and mobile experiences are off the charts.
Bet DSI
Website functionality holds back Bet DSI a little bit, but they otherwise run a strong operation that's heavy on betting markets and prides itself on quickly processed transactions.
Bodog
As one of the biggest sportsbooks in existence, it makes sense that Bodog fares so well by our standards. Their weak point is their betting odds—they can close futures early and don't offer the best of props—and yet they still hit a 7.5-out-of-10 in that department.
Bookmaker
If you can get past limited deposit methods, you'll find that Bookmaker stacks up against the best of the best sportsbooks.
EveryGame
Having been around in some form for three decades, EveryGame knows what it's doing. They don't provide as many live-betting options, but that's the sole fault point of their sterling operation.
Betting By Sports
Certain sports are more suited to beginning bettors than others. These are our favorites.
NFL Betting
Nothing tops the NFL when it comes to betting popularity in 2025. With record-setting handle expected to exceed $30 billion this season, it’s the most active market in U.S. sports wagering. Offense continues to dominate the modern game, which makes over/under totals especially appealing for bettors. The NFL is also one of the most lucrative leagues for futures, particularly Super Bowl wagers, which attract massive action months before the big game
College Football Betting
If you like gambling on the NFL, you'll enjoy college football betting. Defenses have a little bit more of an impact, because the offenses aren't as good, but this is still a great area in which to work the over/under and, perhaps, build some heavy-favorite parlays.
NBA Betting
Star power? Fast-paced offense? High scoring affairs? The NBA betting sphere has it all. This league is most popular for its point spread, moneyline and future wagers.
College Basketball Betting
College basketball betting is a very different experience from the NBA. Scoring is generally lower and more inconsistent, which makes moneyline bets easier to manage for many bettors. Over/unders can be trickier, but point spreads become especially popular during March Madness, when upsets and tight finishes drive huge betting action
MLB Betting
Give MLB betting a try if you're a fan of small point spreads and low over/under lines. They also have a strong futures market that spans division champs all the way up to World Series winners.
NHL Betting
In case you didn't already know, NHL betting is some of the most difficult wagering opportunities. out there. Upsets are rampant, even during the Stanley Cup playoffs. This can drive up your risk, but it also makes the NHL a great place to try out underdog betting strategies.
Soccer Betting
The intrigue of soccer betting is global—more so than any other sport. The nature of it is similar to those of MLB betting and NHL betting. Scores will be lower, which makes parlaying moneylines, working underdog lines, or investing futures especially tantalizing.
Other Sports to Choose From
There are plenty of other betting options to choose from, and we have breakdowns on the following sports and events:
- Golf
- Tennis
- Horse Racing
- MMA/UFC
- Boxing
- Formula 1
- Moto GP
- Nascar
- Esports
- Olympics
- Table Tennis
- Cricket
- College Baseball
- Politics (Not a sport, but worth including anyway!)
Betting FAQ
Is online betting profitable?
This is somewhat of a loaded question without one answer. In short, yes, online betting can be profitable. But it takes work.
Online sportsbooks exist to make money. The largest bankroll in the world doesn't guarantee you anything. Nor does following anyone betting approach. You need to do your research on your wagers and commit to timing the markets as best you can.
You also need to be a consistent player. Simply helicoptering in every now and again lends itself to losses. Those who constantly subject themselves to betting lines, strategies and research tend to do the best.
Is it safe to bet online?
Placing bets online is safe when you stick with reputable operators. That’s why we only recommend partner sportsbooks we’ve personally reviewed and trust. They offer secure transactions and a wide range of payment options—so you can focus on the game, not your safety
How much money should I bet?
This is entirely up to you. Everybody's bankroll is different in size and scope.
The cardinal rule of sports-betting purses, though? Never gamble money you cannot afford to lose. Budget deposits and potential misses into your spending, and you'll be on track to ensuring you never unnecessarily overextend yourself and your finances.
Other Pages in this Betting Guide
Winning Strategies used by Winning Bettors
