Types of Bets Indian Sportsbooks Offer
Sports fans often discuss which team they think might win a match, and those new to sports betting might believe that this is the only result you can bet on.
In reality, the top online bookmakers offer multiple types of bets, such as the total number of points scored, the margin of the win, and even which player will score first.
Throughout this article, we’ll explain the types of sports bets you can find at online sportsbooks in India.
Sportsbooks With the Best Sports Bets Types
Common Bet Types
Regardless of the online sportsbook you pick, you’ll find many betting options, which may vary according to the sport you’re interested in wagering.
Below, we’ll describe the most common types of bets you can select and how you can see which options offer the best odds.
Win Bets (Moneyline)
Win bets might also be referred to as Moneyline bets, depending on the online sportsbook you pick. Regardless of the name of this type of bet, the purpose is the same: selecting the winning team.
Most online sportsbooks in India refer to this type of sports bet as Win Bets.
Let’s say you want to place a win bet on a match between Hyderabad FC and Mumbai City FC.
The first step would be to select an online sportsbook that covers the football market and pick the team you believe will win.
Suppose you believe Hyderabad will win, which is highly possible according to the current standings. In that case, you place a win bet on this team.
If the club you selected wins the match, your wager also wins, and you receive the total amount you wagered times the selected odds.
Over/Under Bets (Totals)
While we describe the different types of bets, you’ll notice many wagers have multiple names. This happens because online sportsbooks in some countries might refer to them differently.
Most countries refer to this type of bet as over/under bets, while in the U.S., online sportsbooks call them totals.
Regardless of the name, the mechanics of the wager are the same in all countries.
As the name suggests, punters must pick if they believe the result will be over or under the advanced options.
These bets often pertain to the results of sporting events or matches. Still, they might also be related to specific actions in a game.
For instance, let’s consider the match between Hyderabad and Mumbai City again. The online sportsbook offers an over/under bet with the line set at 2.5 goals.
You’ll pick over if you believe both clubs will score more than 2.5 goals throughout the match.
Likewise, you’ll select if you don’t think the teams will achieve so many goals during the game.
Point Spread (Handicap)
Point Spread, or Handicap, is one of the most popular types of sports bets globally.
Similarly to what happens with Win Bets, the online sportsbook will offer odds that differentiate the favourite and the underdog.
Let’s say that Hyderabad is the favourite to win against Mumbai City. In that case, the sportsbook will set the number of goals it believes Hyderabad will win by.
Assuming that the sportsbook’s handicap is 2 for Hyderabad, this club will have to win by two or more goals. If you believe this is possible, you’ll place your wager on this club.
On the other hand, if you think Mumbai City will win the match or lose by only 1 goal, you should bet on them.
To make an informed pick, you must understand how the handicap value will impact the final result.
Futures (Outright)
Futures, or Outright Bets, are some of the most widely popular types of bets for major events. As the name suggests, settling these wagers only happens in the future.
These types of sports bets aim to pick the winner of a sporting event that will only end in the future, such as at the end of the season, for instance.
Outright bets often cover tournaments, competitions, leagues, and other long-lasting events.
One excellent example of an outright bet is which national team will win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022.
Most online sportsbooks accept these bets well before the competition begins, which means it might be challenging to make a correct pick.
As you know, many things happen throughout the season that might impact the outcome of a competition, such as player injuries or transfers.
Due to this high level of uncertainty, the odds for these types of bets are often very enticing, as punters can win large. At the same time, it also makes these types of sports bets riskier.
Prop Bets (Specials)
Known as specials, prop bets, or proposition bets, these types of bets allow punters to wager on slightly different options. Prop bets can be about almost anything related to sports.
Depending on the sport you’re wagering on, you can pick the player that will score first, how many corners will happen, or even if a specific team will score in the first inning or not.
Even though we gave you three examples above, these barely showcase the sheer variety of possibilities regarding prop bets.
Moreover, since each team has several players, there will never be a shortage of player-specific propositions.
As it happens with most simple bets, if whichever option you pick happens, you’ll win the bet.
Parlays and Accumulators
Unlike all the types of sports bets we have described so far, Parlays and Accumulators are somewhat more challenging to understand.
As such, we recommend that you don’t delve into these types of bets if you’re starting your sports betting journey.
The bettor will select several picks to build a combined wager to form a Parlay or Accumulator bet.
For instance, if you’re betting on the Premier League, you can choose which team will be the winner of multiple matches.
The challenging aspect of this type of bet is that all of your picks must be right for you to win.
This means that you will lose your wager if you select five matches, and your selection is correct for four but wrong for one.
The betting odds for these types of sports bets are often quite high, but so is the associated risk.
As it’s challenging to pick all the wagers correctly, you must be confident about your sports expertise and opt for lower stakes.
Live (In-Play) Betting
With technological advances, one particular type of bet has become popular: live or in-play betting.
As the name indicates, bettors can place these types of bets live or while the match is still occurring.
In India, one sportsbook, in particular, is excellent for those looking to place live wagers.
Betway allows punters to place a varied range of sports bets while also watching the match through live streaming.
Unlike pre-match bets, in-play bets take place during the event. Each sportsbook selects the betting interval or the types of bets available during the competition.
Since the types of sports bets available in live betting depend on what is happening in real-time, punters will have the chance to place much more exciting types of bets.
For instance, in a football match, it might be possible to wager on the half-time result or how many red or yellow cards the referee hands out.
Free Bets
One type of bet that is very sought-after by bettors is the free bet. Sportsbooks offer promotional free bets to their punters as part of a bonus or reward.
Although many sportsbooks offer free bets as a welcome or sign-up bonus, others make this giveaway a recurring theme.
As mentioned in our Betway sportsbook review, it has a Free Bet Club that offers bettors the weekly chance to get ₹500 if they wager at least ₹500 on doubles or higher.
These bets often have associated wagering requirements. For instance, a sportsbook might offer a ₹500 free bet that punters can only use on wagers with minimum or maximum odds.
Sports betting sites might also offer free bets for specific matches or competitions, depending on whether it’s a final weekend or the end of the season.
Most Popular Cricket Bets
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in India, which explains why there is such an abundance of cricket betting sites.
Punters can place many of the types of bets we explained throughout this article, but there are also some cricket-specific bets. We’ll describe them below:
Innings Runs
One of the most popular cricket bets is first innings bets.
Sportsbooks often offer more attractive odds for these types of bets as the match’s pattern is still undecided.
Punters can also place the following bets:
- Which team will take the lead after both have played their first innings
- Which team will lead the match after both have batted for their first innings
Top Bowler
Another sought-after cricket bet is picking the top bowler.
In this type of bet, the punter selects the player who has taken the highest number of wickets.
These sports bets might depend on several factors, such as if two players have taken the same number of wickets.
In this case, the winning option is the player who has conceded the least runs.
Team Batsman or Top Batsman
Similarly to the type of bet mentioned above, in this case, the bettor will pick the player who scored the highest number of runs.
For the Top Batsman wager, the punter selects which player is the winner while considering both teams.
The Team Batsman bet only considers players within the same team.
FAQs
What are 4 bets called?
Combining four different bets will lead to a parlay or accumulator bet. In these cases, the punter will only win if all their picks are correct. This type of bet is recommended for bettors with betting experience and who are experts on the sport they’re betting on.
What is the best bet in cricket?
The most popular bets in cricket include first innings runs, top bowler, and top teams batsman or top batsman. The first innings runs bets usually offer higher odds as the match’s path is yet to be decided.
What is a single bet?
A single bet allows bettors to pick the outcome of one single event. For instance, betting on which horse will win a race, which football team will win the match, or which tennis player will win the tournament are all examples of a single bet.
What are the most popular sports bets?
Single bets are by far the most popular types of bets for beginners. Other popular types of sports bets include parlay bets, proposition bets, future bets, and in-play bets.
