Make A Sports Prop Bet Online

How To Make A Prop Bet

Before getting into how to make a prop bet, it would be good to know what a prop bet is. Also known as a proposition bet, a prop bet is a wager that is made at a sportsbook where the bet has no effect on the overall outcome of the game. The prop bet is more of a novelty bet, especially when looking at all the prop bets that pop up for the Super Bowl. Some examples of prop bets could be how many hits a player will have in a game (baseball), how many receiving yards a wide receiver will have in the first half (football), and how many points someone will score in the third quarter (basketball), or how many saves will the goalie have in the game (hockey).

The History Of Prop Bets

Prop bets haven’t always been around as long as the sportsbooks have. The first prop bet came during Super Bowl 30, where it was rumored that Bears defensive tackle William Perry may be used on offense. So Las Vegas sportsbooks came up with the idea to allow bettors to wager on whether or not Perry would score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. He did go on to score and cost the casinos hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This loss was ultimately a gain for the sportsbooks in the long run, as this idea created one of the more unique betting options out there. The top sporting event of the year also became the top prop betting day of the year with the Super Bowl. There are over a hundred prop bets that can be made on the Super Bowl, with more than half of the money wagered for the event coming from prop bets alone. Outside of the Super Bowl, prop bets can be made for most professional sports. There are some prop bets available for collegiate sports as well, although some states have restrictions on these wagers. For example, in the state of Arizona, you can bet on college football, but you can’t wager on college football prop bets.

Benefits Of Prop Bets

Engagement:

You’re probably wondering why you would wager on props bets as opposed to the more traditional bets like the Spread, Money line, or Over/Under. The thing that bettors really enjoy about betting online on props bets is that it makes the game more fun. If you make a wager on the Spread or Money line in a blowout game, your bet could be over before the game is even halfway over. But a prop bet can keep you engaged throughout the whole game, whether betting on how many yards a player will have or will a pitcher reach a certain number of strikeouts.

More Profitable:

A second benefit of a prop bet is that they can be considerably profitable. There is a lot that goes into setting the spread lines and betting odds for Money line wagers. Algorithms are created by teams of oddsmakers for each sportsbook to ensure that there is even money on both sides of the wagers to make sure they come out on top. Prop bets, while still having the research done on their end, can often go slightly ignored by the sportsbooks, thus creating a more favorable outcome for those that would like to bet on props.

More Diversity:

The third benefit of a prop bet is the diversity in which you can bet for a game. With the top three betting options we’ve mentioned before, you can only wager on how the game will end. With a prop bet, you can take advantage of the knowledge you have within the game. For example, let’s say there is an advantageous matchup between a wide receiver and the corner who will be defending him all game. Without a prop bet, there is not much to do with this knowledge. However, wagering on a prop bet that the wide receiver will have Over the yards receiving that the sportsbook has listed can become very profitable for you.

How To Make A Prop Bet

There is good news about making a prop bet online. Almost all online sportsbooks have prop bets available for most sports. The top sports for making a prop bet are football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. As prop bets have similar odds posting to game odds such as the Money line, Spread, and Over/Under, those who are familiar with these types of betting options will be able to understand prop bets just the same. Below are a couple of examples of what a prop bet can look like:

1. Aaron Rodgers Total Passing Yards

Over 275.5 Yards -110

Under 275.5 Yards -110

There are also prop bets available that have more than two options to choose from. For prop bets like these, the odds are often higher than the two options wagers, such as the below example:

1. First Touchdown Score: Oakland Raiders vs. Green Bay Packers

• Davante Adams +300
• Aaron Jones +350
• Darren Waller +450
• Sammy Watkins +475
• Josh Jacobs +600
• Allen Lazard +600
• Other +375

If you were to put $100 on Sammy Watkins to score the first touchdown of the game and he does, you would win $475.

It is important to know that prop bet odds can change very rapidly and you have to be quick in order to take advantage of potential outliers in the odds. Injury news as well as weather updates, can have a significant impact on prop betting odds, thus leading to quick changes in value to be found.

Another way prop bets can be made is for live betting. Live betting can be a bit trickier to learn and master but can also provide you with a large value on your wagers. As a game goes on, there can be live prop bets that can show tremendous value. For example, a long touchdown throw at the end of a game to a receiver with long odds can be a longshot but can pay off dividends.

What Next?

Prop bets are one of the most exciting wagers one can make at an online or physical sportsbook. While there’s a bit to learn about the prop bet wagers, there’s no doubt that they can be a fun and potentially profitable way to expand your sports betting career. Now that you know the “How-To’s” of prop betting, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Or try out some of our other how-to pages to see if you want to try something a little more technical!