One of the most exciting innovations to hit the gambling industry in recent years has been live sports betting β also known as in-play betting.
Before the internet arrived on the scene, punters had a limited number of ways they could wager on sports, all of which required bets to be placed before an event started.
Fast forward to today and the landscape has been transformed, with live in-play betting now all the rage in every leading gambling jurisdiction worldwide.
With that in mind, we take a closer look at live betting before assessing the best ways to make a profit from the practice. We also look at some of the best upcoming events for live betting.
What is live sports betting?
Live sports betting or live in-play betting adds an additional layer of excitement to wagering on your favourite sports on desktop, laptop or mobile app.
Whereas pre-match or ante-post markets allow you to bet before an event has started, live sports betting can be done when the action gets underway.
All of the best in-play betting sites or μ€ν¬μΈ ν ν μ¬μ΄νΈ offer live odds on numerous sports including football, golf, tennis, cricket, rugby, basketball and many more.
The odds are updated in real-time, thus allowing punters to take advantage of fluctuations in the progress of their chosen sports event.
If you get your timing right, live sports betting can be the pathway to much bigger profits than you can garner from wagering pre-match or ante-post.
Live sports betting tips
The central component of betting on any sport is the odds β these determine how much your payout will be based on the stake you have wagered.
The beauty of in-play betting is the odds change as the event progresses, which means you can get extra value for money if you get your timing right.
For instance, letβs say you fancy Manchester City to defeat Burnley in a Premier League fixture. The pre-match odds on the reigning champions will be prohibitive.
However, the odds will drift as the game progresses, meaning you will be able to get more value the longer the scoreline remains goalless.
A strategy used by many professional punters is to wait until the underdog takes an early lead, as the odds on the pre-match favourite will lengthen significantly.
The statistics will still point to the favoured team recovering to win the game, making this the optimum moment to wager on them.
By cleverly utilising the in-play markets in this way, you can boost your winning returns by a big percentage if your get your timing spot on.
Live sports betting pros and cons
As with any type of sports betting, in-play wagering has numerous pros and cons attached to it. Before placing live sports bet, here are a few things to consider.
Pros
- In-play betting allows you to make more informed wagering decisions.
- Live sports betting odds can be more generous than pre-match prices.
- You can hedge your bets in-play to ensure a payout regardless of the outcome.
Cons
- Live sports betting odds can be volatile – getting your timing right is tricky.
- In-play betting can be costly if you are too impulsive.
Upcoming live sports betting events
The latter stages of the 2023 sporting calendar are packed with events which are ideally suited towards in-play betting.
For example, the fluctuations in golfβs Ryder Cup make it the ideal vehicle for leveraging live betting opportunities to your advantage.
The scores in head-to-head matches often flip-flop, allowing you to lock in a winning return regardless of the outcome if you make the right picks.
The ICC Menβs Cricket World Cup is another upcoming event which is ripe for in-play wagering, with the six-week long tournament offering punters a wealth of in-play opportunities.
Popular markets include the fall of the next wicket, which requires you to predict how many more runs will be scored before the next batsman is out.
Session runs is another intriguing in-play option, with punters able to place their wagers based on the progress a team makes during their innings.
The Breedersβ Cup World Championships in horse racing will also offer a wealth of in-play opportunities, particularly if you use sports betting exchanges.
In-running odds are a great way to extract extra value from your horse racing wagers, but you need to be quick to take advantage of the prices in real-time.
Another superb in-play betting event is the PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace β a tournament that generates a ton of intertest on online sportsbooks.
You can wager on which player will win an individual leg, who will triumph in a particular set or simply bet on the final result of the match.
In-play betting unquestionably adds another layer of excitement into wagering on sports, especially if you place your bets at the optimum moment.
