How to win at live betting?

2024-12-17
7:16 PM

A punter’s success in live betting often comes down to their experience with that sport, as well as their knowledge of stats related to the teams and players on the field. Looking for a few extra insights about how to win at live betting?

Stick to these tried-and-true tips:

  • Opt for an interface that works. A punter should choose a betting app or live streaming bet service that functions reliably without glitching. It should also be an interface they’re comfortable navigating. As mentioned above, things can move quickly in live betting, and it always pays to understand a platform.
  • Hedge your bets. Some bettors find it beneficial to wager on both sides, then capitalize on live betting options to make one more profitable based on how the game is unfolding.
  • Plan ahead. The easiest way to make live betting successful is to go into a match with an understanding of what types of live bets you’ll be open to. This may sound easy, but it’s important to keep these plans in mind when the Vikings start upsetting the Saints in the NFC playoffs.
  • Keep an eye out for the ‘Better Odds’ button. Live bets tend to be extreme compared to the conservative estimates given before a game starts. Most sportsbooks include a handy ‘better odds’ selection, which alerts bettors that their original bet’s odds have improved. Any improvement to an existing bet is a solid play—every single time.

What is Live Sports Betting and how does it work?

Live betting, also known as in play betting and in game betting, lets punters wager on the outcome of the game as it unfolds. As the game progresses, sportsbooks update their lines—whether covering outright winner, point spreads, or prop bets related to individual player and team statistics.

This means bettors can wager on updated lines according to what’s happening in a game. For example, the Chiefs may be the favorite to cover the spread (-3.5) against the Ravens (+3.5), but an unsteady performance from the Ravens could mean sportsbooks update these odds to Chiefs (-12) and Ravens (+12) at halftime or earlier.In this example, the sportsbook has updated a live betting line to reflect the game’s action.

This lets bettors make quick decisions based on how the game will continue. Live betting is also trending for its emphasis on player props, which cover bets like which player will score first or how many total points they’ll score in a game.

Live betting tips & strategies

It’s one thing to understand how and where to make a live bet. But you probably want to actually become good at it – and we’re here to help you with that!

Here are some basic strategies for mastering the art of in-play sports betting:

Monitor Trends

Not all trends are useful for sports betting – in fact, most can be dismissed. But they aren’t all noise; finding trends that are more predictive than others can help you identify valuable live betting opportunities.

Does Team X play better in the first half than the second? How tired is Team Y after playing four games in six nights? Does Team Z tend to perform better against teams with certain lineup or personnel formations? The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be for your live bets.

Shop Around

Have you noticed a theme? As we’ve said numerous times already, shopping around is the best way to ensure you’re getting the best value on your live sports wagers.

Having said that (repeatedly), it’s next to impossible to monitor live lines on multiple sports betting sites at the same time, especially if you have only one or two mobile devices. So look for trends here, as well: Which sites consistently offer the best odds? Which ones are the most reliable overall? Use your research to inform which apps you use, and how often.

Narrow Your Focus

It might be tempting to try and make as many live wagers as possible – but this is a dangerous practice for two main reasons.

First, if you spread yourself thin, you risk making too many in-play wagers that lack the depth of research required to be successful. The other significant issue is that excessive live betting can drain your bankroll much faster than you had intended – and if you’re struggling, you might be more inclined to chase those losses impulsively.

Only live bet what you can comfortably manage, both in terms of volume and actual dollars.

It’s Not How You Start …

One of the easiest ways to ingratiate yourself into the live betting experience is to capitalize on good teams that get off to bad starts.

In a standard hockey game, for example, a -200 pre-game favorite might move to -120 or higher if it surrenders the first goal. This is often a great buying opportunity, since you’re getting the team that oddsmakers had as a hefty favorite going in. If talent wins out, you have yourself a winner at a much better price than before the match started.