Fancy a bet on American sport, but not sure where to start? Whether it’s basketball, ice hockey, American Football or baseball that floats your boat, BetConnect has got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about how to bet on US Sports.
How to bet on US Sports: Why choose BetConnect?
The chief problem with having a bet on US sports if you’re resident in the UK is actually being able to get your money on.
Bookies don’t employ seasoned sports traders for what they consider the more obscure sports. Often they rely on someone else’s markets or the prices offered on the exchanges before tentatively chalking up matches.
Then there’s the issue of liquidity. If you can find a price, can you get a good-sized bet on? The answer is yes, you can at BetConnect. Elsewhere, you’re likely to struggle. There are not many layers, recreational or institutional, wanting to take big liabilities on these bets.
How to bet on US Sports: What can I bet on?
Every match of every season in the four big leagues – NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL – are offered at BetConnect. For all of them, you are invited to table Bet Requests on the following markets:
Match Result
Also known as the “money line”, the Match Result market is the one that requires the least explanation. It may, however, be helpful to consult the rules around overtime results. In American sport, the draw is frowned upon, and often, teams will play on to determine a winner.
Handicap Result
In a handicap market, points are awarded to the underdog to theoretically even up the contest. Once the handicap is applied, the odds about the favourite become more attractive, but the win is tougher to achieve. The odds about the underdog, meanwhile, shorten up, but you can emerge as a winner even if your team doesn’t win on the pitch.
Total points/runs/goals make-up
In this market, we are totting up all the points scored by both teams. The market applies a line. You then have to work out whether the total points will settle under or over that line. For example, Tampa Bay v New England has a total points line of 47.5. Tampa Bay wins 28-21 for a total of make-up of 49 points. You win if you bet on more than 47.5, and you lose if you back the low side of the line.
Touchdown scorer markets (NFL only)
If you enjoy following the gridiron, we also offer touchdown markets on America’s greatest winter game. These markets usually split into “anytime touchdown scorer” – in other words, choose a player to score at any time in the match – or “first touchdown scorer”, when you’re looking for the first player on either named team to carry the ball into the end zone.
How to bet on US Sports: When should you bet?
Wherever possible, wait until the day of action itself before putting up your Bet Requests. Don’t be tempted to go early, even if markets start opening a day or two before.
This way, you are likely to see a larger number of bookie odds featured on the Bet Request dropdown. There will then be more liquidity with other operators. This means matched bettors are more likely to agree to lay your bets.
The first markets that go up are the match result ones. They are normally followed by the handicaps and points lines. When it comes to the NFL, the touchdown scorer ones are the last markets to appear. If it is getting close to kick-off and you’ve not seen the markets you want, feel free to contact live support for more info.
Who has the best info on US sport betting?
There is plenty of US sport betting-centred preview content on individual matches online. The language involved can be hard to decipher, however. This is because American betting parlance is linguistically so different from here in the UK.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but the best advice is to look at the major US media outlets such as CBS, CNN, ESPN, New York Times and Washington Post – none of which operate behind a paywall – when exploring betting angles on hockey, basketball and baseball.
For example, you may find some important breaking team news that could affect a market later on and allow you to make a Bet Request at beneficial odds. With baseball, you must know who the two designated starting pitchers are before considering a betting play on an individual match.
When it comes to American Football, which has a much bigger hold on UK audiences, there is plenty of good content available in mainstream media and podcasts, which, again, may help you predict how upcoming matches will play out.
American Football, which has a short season and weekly fixtures, is ideal if you want to spend lots of time previewing individual matches. The other three sports serve up action on a daily basis, and the markets are more likely to miss important details which can help you gain an edge.
US Sports Betting Explained: Get started with BetConnect!
BetConnect is a hybrid solution that combines many of the strengths of the exchange model – it is, after all, a peer-to-peer experience – alongside the reassurance of big bets being matched at low commission without restrictions or premium charges.
Available prices quoted are based on real-time markets provided by a wide range of online bookmakers. The platform gives bettors reassurance that they are getting the best bookie prices while layers know where to head for matched betting opportunities.
BetConnect’s single biggest advantage is its ability to fuse three disparate groups of individuals:
- Professional punters who have grown frustrated by restrictions imposed on them by the bookies
- Recreational players who enjoy backing and laying selections
- The growing community of matched betting enthusiasts
If you think you’re ready to bet on US sport, or any other sport offered at BetConnect, then sign up for an account now. BetConnect is the only exchange that lets you back selections at bookie odds with no restrictions, and lay the selections of other account-holders commission-free. Not sure how it works? Read this simple guide.
