Just What Is the Money Line Bet?
In the days before online gambling became the norm, most UK punters would never have even heard of the moneyline bet, and even now, it is not unusual for a punter to see a moneyline bet and to simply look for something else to bet on because they just don’t understand the moneyline meaning.
It would be fair to say that unless you bet on US sports such as baseball, you will probably never have to understand the moneyline meaning but most punters will agree that it is worth understanding because you never know when an opportunity may come up to place such type of bet.
The basic money line meaning is that there are only two outcomes for the bet, and the best way to describe this is to give an example of a baseball moneyline bet.
The New York Yankees are playing the Philadelphia Phillies.
The New York Yankees are the favourites, so the money bet for this game is as follows:
- Philadelphia Phillies +150
- New York Yankees –160
The favourite is usually listed with a minus sign, and the easiest way to explain the pay-out of the bet is to use a stake of £100.
So, in this example, if you place a £100 moneyline on Philadelphia Phillies, you would win £150.
If you placed £100 on the New York Yankees, you would win £62.50.
The best way to understand the way that a moneyline bet is settled is to go to any US-facing sportsbook, choose a baseball game for example and enter a stake on the various outcomes of the game and you will see what you would win if the selection were successful.
Do this for a few different games, and you will soon get the hang of it.
There really is not a lot to the moneyline bet, and any confusion usually arises because it is something that the UK punter is just not used to.
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Don’t Forget about the Betting Bank
When you start using a moneyline bet for the first time, it is easy to become fascinated by this way of betting and to stop using your betting bank alongside a quality system to make your selections.
It can become a little confusing when working out the stakes to invest on your betting selections but again, this is because moneyline betting is something which you may not be familiar with.
When it comes to making the selections to place your money line bets on, you will find that there is a wealth of information out there to help you out.
Just as in the UK, forums and Facebook groups offer tips and the latest news, the same applies for US sports so it would be fair to say that even if you don’t know anything about the sport, you won’t struggle to find information.
Some punters will instantly see that there are a lot of opportunities when placing a moneyline so in order to avoid confusion, they will set up a separate betting bank for money line betting and keep separate betting banks in place for their usual betting activities.
It doesn’t take much imagination to realise how confusing it can be if everything is being operated from one betting bank, so bear that in mind if you are considering getting involved with money line betting.
A Money Line Bet Parlay
Once you get into money line betting, you will see that just as with traditional UK betting, different options are available and the money line bet parlay is becoming more and more popular due to the fact that big pay-outs from small stakes are possible.
If you are not aware, a parlay is very similar to an accumulator so you can probably understand why punters like them but placing these kinds of bets carry the same risks as with a normal accumulator in that the chances of landing one with a massive pay-out is quite rare.
If you are into matched betting, your brain must be ticking over at the possibilities of placing a money line in order to take advantage of various bonuses and promotions.
Some of the US sportsbooks offer enormous rollover bonuses and a money line bet could be used to take advantage of these offers.
Before you jump in though, please take the time to read and understand the terms and conditions which are associated with these bonuses as well as making sure that you are familiar with all of the moneyline terminology because if you don’t, there is a very good chance that it could all end in tears.
Should You Get into Moneyline Betting?
If you are interested in betting, it would definitely make sense to understand how a money line bet works because you never know when the opportunity will arise to place a bet of this type.
Once you understand the moneyline meaning you will see how straightforward it all is and as already mentioned, if you are into matched betting, you will see that it opens up far more opportunities for you to take advantage of.
As there are only two outcomes to a money line, it is tempting to place more bets than you might otherwise do because it looks like it is easier to make a winning bet.
Unfortunately, the way that a money line bet is priced up, this is rarely the case, so make sure that you place your bets carefully. Overall, knowing how to place a moneyline bet is far better than not having a clue how they work.
