Correct Score Bets:
These are wagers placed on what the final score of a game will be. For example, you might wager on an outcome of 3-1 for Team A over Team B. These bets only pay off when the scores are an exact match, and usually offer pretty significant odds because they are so difficult to accurately predict.
Half Time Bets:
These are wagers placed on predicting the outcome of the second half of a game only. Bookmakers will release the lines after the action in the first half is complete, making for a limited amount of time for punters to get in on the action before the second half starts.
Half Time Result:
This is the same as a Win Bet (aka "Full Time Result"), but is based on what the score will be after the first half of the game is over, not when it's complete.
Half Time/Full Time Bets: (aka "Double Result")
This is a wager placed on which team will be leading (if either) during half time, and again once the game has finished. For example, you could wager that Team A and Team B will be tied at half time, but Team B will win the game. With either team leading or a tie at half time there's 3 possible outcomes, and the same 3 after the game is complete; making for a total of 9 possible outcomes for each game.
Total Goals: (aka "Over/Under" or "Under/Over")
A wager on how many goals will be scored in a game cumulatively between the two teams. The sportsbook/exchange will have a number of goals listed, which will include a half-point so it's not possible to land right on the line. For example, the game between Team A and Team B have an Over/Under of 3.5 goals: an Under Bet will win if 3 or fewer goals are scored, an Over Bet if 4 or more are scored.
Handicaps: (aka "line betting", aka "point spreads")
Handicapping is when an underdog is given additional points/goals (for the purpose of the bet) to make the outcome more balanced. For example, if Team A is favoured to beat Team B by a couple of goals, the handicap might be set at 2. This would look something like:
Team A (-2) Team B (+2)
The outcome of the bet is based on the final score after the handicap is applied. In the above example, if Team A beat Team B 3-0, the handicapped score would be 3-2, and bets on Team A would still win. If the actual score were 1-0 however, the handicapped score would be 1-2 in favor of Team B.
Asian Handicaps:
Asian Handicaps may have originated in the East, but are becoming an increasingly popular bet throughout the UK and around the world.
They are used for football matches exclusively, giving the bettor two different options - a home team win or an away team win (there is no betting on draws).
The handicap given is designed to balance the score between an underdog and favourite, so that for betting purposes they're on even playing ground. There are two different types of Asian Handicaps; Single and Double (split).
Single Handicaps:
These are expressed as a single number beside the odds, and are usually shown in decimal format rather than fractions. For example:
In the above example, Kyoto Sanga is being given a half-ball handicap over Shimizu S Pulse. This means the final score will be adjusted by a half point. If the actual game outcome were 2-2, the adjusted score would be 2-2.5, making Kyoto Sanga the winner by a half-goal.
Single handicaps can be 0 (even), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 or 2.5.
- Because half numbers (0.5, 1.5 and 2.5) ensure the final adjusted score cannot be even between the two teams, a bet is a win or a loss; no tie is possible.
- Whole numbers do allow for the possibility of a tie. Bets will be returned (sometimes minus a small fee) in the event that the final adjusted score results in a draw.
Double Handicaps (aka "split handicaps")
As the name might suggest, these are essentially like two bets in one. Expressed as two different numbers, a Split Handicap would look something like this:
The two different numbers (0 and 0.5 in the above example) represent to two sides of the bet. One half is basically the same as a Single Handicap at 0 (even), and the other half a Single Handicap at 0.5. This allows for some more potential outcomes for the bettor; they might win half a bet and draw with the other, or lose half and draw with the other, etc.
Using the above example, if you were to bet £10 on Oita Trinita at 1.86 and the final score was 1-0:
The first half of your bet would not use an adjusted score, because the handicap is 0 (even). This would mean the score would still be 1-0 for Oita Trinita, and this half of the wager would pay off at the odds posted (1.86). The other half of the bet however would use a half ball (0.5) in the adjusted score, making for a final score of 0.5-0. This half of the bet would still win, but you can see how larger handicaps can adjust the outcome.
While it might seem complicated at first, treating Double Handicaps like two separate single bets makes things easier to follow.
Proposition Bets:
Propositions are wagers made on a specific thing happening, whether sports related or not. For example, it might be who scores the first goal in the Euro Cup, or who will win the award for TV personality of the year. These normally come with straight odds similar to a "Win Bet", though often with a lot more options to choose from than just two teams.
That covers the majority of betting types you'll encounter in brief, and is hopefully enough to help you get started. If not, and you'd like more details and information on betting types, please see this page.
