Spread betting can be very exciting, but it can also be quite nerve racking because you will not know how much you will win or lose until the event has come to an end. The return on your wager will change every time either team scores a goal or point, as well as every booking, every corner, et cetera. Simply put, spread betting is not at all like fixed odds betting, and therefore, is much more dangerous as well as much more exciting. Of course, because spread betting is much more dangerous you stand to win a lot more than you do with fixed odds betting. While spread betting is very exciting and can have huge returns, it can also result in huge losses if you do not predict the outcome of the game better than the bookmaker has done. The deal with spread betting is that you should only play if you can afford to lose, because you can lose very big because your loss can exceed the deposit that you made depending on the outcome of the game.
The Difference Between Fixed Odds and Spread Betting
If you've only bet on sports with fixed odds in the past, you have some learning and thinking to do before you attempt to jump into spread betting with both
feet. The nice thing about fixed odds is that you do not know how much you may win or lose when you place a spread bet. You can win a lot or lose a lot, all based
on your predictions. With spread betting you need to be as able to predict the winnings or better able than the bookkeeper or you'll lose a lot!
What's The Spread?
The bookmaker will offer a spread, usually a spread is anywhere from 0 to 100. Say the bookmaker offers a spread of 30-50, this is then known as the bookmaker's
prediction, and you will need to decide if you want to bet higher or lower than the bookmakers opening prediction. If you choose to bet higher that means you
believe that the result will become higher than the bookmaker thinks. If you bet lower than the spread it means that you think the outcome will be lower than the
bookmaker believes. If you are right, you win, but you only win as much as the accurateness of your bet was, or the difference between the actual outcome and the
bookmaker's prediction. But, if you are wrong you will lose the amount between the actual outcome of the game and the opening prediction.
How the Bets Are Placed
Not only is the way that you can make or lose money different with spread betting, the way that you place the bet is also a big different. With fixed odds there
are no hidden surprises, as money is placed in front of the bet and you will either lose that money or win more than you had originally bet. Spread bets are
different because you simply decide before hand if you are going higher than the spread or lower than the spread. Different staking methods for spread betting are
used, though they are usually placed in currency per unit. With spread betting you will stake the maximum possible loss related to your bet before the event. For
the currency, you may have a credit account so that there are already funds deposited into the account so that wins and losses can be deposited or withdrawn from
the account. No money is actually paid from the account when the bet is placed, but the loss or win will be added or deducted when the outcome of the spread is
known. Debit accounts may also be used as well as your major credit cards. When the bookie uses a credit card the maximum possible loss is typically debited from
the card, and when the result is known the funds and any additional funds will be credited back to the card, if applicable. How this is done really varies from
bookie to bookie, so you'll want to ask questions before you make your stakes known.
Common types of spreads are known as total bookings, total corners, and time of spreads. Each of these is a bit different and will definitely change the way you look at the game. Before you place a bet you'll want to understand what type of spread you are dealing with. If you aren't familiar with the spread you'll want to ask all of the questions you need to ask so that you bet with confidence and with the best chance for success.
There is no doubt that spread betting is a very exhilarating form of betting, as your profits and losses will change with every kick of a ball, every inning, every quarter, etceteras. Spread betting is a lot of fun with televised sports games because you'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time as you watch your profits rise and fall; you'll have no choice but to be on the edge of your seat because spread betting carries that much risk! If you are up to par with the rules and you are not entirely new to sports or betting, you'll find that spread betting is a great way to change up your betting routine as well as an awesome way to see some serious returns.
If you just want to get a sample of spread betting then you should visit The Sporting Index play for fun section. Then once you get comfortable with the process you can play for real money.
