Unlocking the Full Potential of Sports Betting with Diverse Betting Markets

Searching for the online bookmaker that’s just right for you is far from easy. To have an exciting and profitable experience with wagering, one should take into account a wealth of factors — from payment methods to mobile compatibility and proper licencing. One of the things that all punters should look for is the freedom of choice offered for a specific betting event. In other words, the number and variety of betting markets.

Betting markets, also known as bet types, are the particular outcomes of a match that punters can place wagers on. These markets are offered by sportsbooks and have different odds and potential payout for each bet. The most common betting markets include moneyline bets, handicap bets, over/under bets, and outrights.

While these basic betting markets are essential for sports bettors to understand, exploring different betting markets beyond the basics can lead to new and exciting opportunities. Top betting sites can offer as many as 1500 bet types per event, depending on the sport and sportsbook. By exploring these different markets, bettors can gain an edge over the competition and potentially increase their chances of winning.

These bet types make up the core package of all bookmakers, but the world of markets is much more complex, and sports bettors can step up in terms of their winnings by choosing top bookmakers offering more betting markets. Today, BetReligion’s team will take a closer look at some of the most popular markets for football, tennis, basketball and volleyball and explain how to leverage them to your advantage. We’ll also keep you up to date with our tables of the most dependable options in terms of market coverage. Whether you’re an experienced pro or just starting out with sports betting, keep reading to gain more insight into these complex markets beyond what is commonly known.

Advantages of Exploring Different Betting Markets

It may not be obvious, but a broader betting market coverage may well be a game-changer in terms of getting the most out of your wagering. Although sticking with the basic betting markets can be a safe option for novice gamblers, exploring all of the betting markets offered by top betting sites can provide the following benefits:

Access to more favourable odds

By exploring different betting markets, you can access a wider range of odds and potentially find more favourable ones for your bets. The results of some in-game events can be easier to predict than others. For example, while the top 4 teams in highly ranking leagues like Premier League or the Championship may be relatively easy to deduct, guessing whether the total number of goals will be odd or even is up to much greater fluctuations and therefore harder to predict correctly.

More options for live betting

Live betting has grown increasingly popular among sports punters, and while the full arsenal of pre-match markets is available for in-play, the latter offers a list of some exclusive options that become available after the beginning of the match. These include but are not limited to the next player or team to score, the winner of the next half and the type of the next goal for football.

Ability to specialise

Having access to different betting markets allows you to make good use of areas you’re passionate about. Whether particularly knowledgeable about the latest developments regarding players or can remember and analyse the latest results, this will enable you to specialise and become an expert, increasing your chances of high-value wagers.

In conclusion, exploring different betting markets can offer several advantages, such as access to more favourable odds and chances for value bets, more live betting options as well as the capacity to specialise in one particular market. To access a wider range of markets and have a chance at predicting even the most niche aspects of your favourite matches, make sure to pick from our ratings crafted specifically for UK punters.

Football Betting Markets

Football is the king among other sports in terms of the number and the variety of betting markets. When betting on major football leagues, like the Premier League or UEFA Championship, you can expect several hundreds of bet types to be available for lucrative opportunities. The number of pre-live markets is expectedly higher than in the live section, but some of the new platforms make efforts to minimise the difference to provide the punters with comprehensive coverage of an event.

To make it easier for you to make a decision, we’ve compiled a table of BetReligion’s top betting sites comparing football market diversity for some of the biggest fixtures. As the number and the type of available betting markets depend on the importance and status of the match, make sure that you explore any options which appeal to you individually.

The table displays that many bookies go as far as to feature 200+ bet types for a single event to cater to all sorts of bettors. To help you navigate the world of football betting markets better, our skilled team have covered some of the most popular markets. Get started with these exciting opportunities below.

Three-way Betting

Three-way betting provides punters with three possible outcomes to predict in an upcoming football match – home or away team victory or a draw. It is commonly known as 1×2 — the “1” represents the home team, while the “2” represents the away team. The “X” option represents the possibility of a draw.

1×2 betting can be an extremely profitable form of investing for those who conduct thorough research on both teams involved. Odds will vary based on factors such as which teams are participating and any injuries or suspensions to key players that may alter this plan of attack – bettors need to account for these elements to make informed decisions when placing their bet.

Asian Handicap

Asian Handicap is a betting market that has been steadily gaining popularity for a while now, turning into an important factor for choosing a go-to bookmaker for some punters. It is a type of spread betting in which handicaps are introduced to make odds for each team winning more even, thus increasing bettors’ excitement and giving them greater odds of success with their bets.

In a nutshell, Asian Handicap involves setting a handicap that eliminates the chance of a draw. The team most likely to win gets a minus handicap, while the underdog gets a plus. The handicap in this market is not an integer, but a fraction, which helps avoid refunds or losses in case of a draw, as the results are always an integer.

For instance, if the favourite has a -1 handicap, it needs to win by two goals in order to cover the spread and be considered successful. Otherwise, their victory is considered a draw, and the bettor’s stake will be returned.

Outrights

Outright betting may be a perfect gateway into betting for newcomers, as this type of bet doesn’t involve researching a particular match in extreme details. To get an outright bet right, you need to correctly predict the ultimate winner of a tournament, championship or league. For instance, an outright bet on Manchester City to win English Premier League will only succeed if Manchester City ends the league season on top.

This betting market opens before the beginning of the highest-ranking football events, and is open throughout the season. The resulting champion of a given top-flight competition is always subject to much speculation ad debate, so the odds fluctuate accordingly. Make sure to monitor these fluctuations to maximise your chances of winning big.

One of the most frequently traded outright markets in football is the Top 10 to Finish market, in which you predict which teams will finish within the top ten spots at the tournament’s conclusion. Although its odds tend to be lower than those for other outright markets, your chance of success increases substantially since predicting the top ten finishers may not be that easy, especially since major football leagues and championships tend to have their own Big Six.
Another popular outright market is To Avoid Relegation, in which you predict which teams will finish at the bottom of their respective league tables and be relegated to lower leagues. Although challenging, this market offers high odds with plenty of chances to make big wins if your predictions prove correct.

The Outright football betting options presented by Unibet.

Over/Under Markets

Over/Under is a broad type of bet that involves predicting correctly whether the number of particular events on the playing field will be over or under a particular benchmark set by the sportsbook. This betting market is a great way for punters to benefit from a thorough knowledge of H2H records and player statistics.

In football, this market allows bettors to predict whether the number of goals, corners or shots will surpass or fall below a particular threshold. Bettor can then select whether they think the actual figure will surpass or fall beneath this benchmark set by the bookmaker.

The Total Goals market is one of the most sought-after Over/Under betting markets in football, offering bettors an opportunity to bet on how many goals will be scored during an entire match, with bookmakers setting an expected total number.

The Total Goals 1st/2nd Half market is another Over/Under bet type which focuses on how many goals were scored during the first half of a match. Although less predictable, this betting market takes into account whether the teams can kickstart the game with a few goals or need to bide their time to enter a competitive phase.

Team Total Goals Over/Under allows bettors to place bets on the number of goals a certain team will score during a match. Bettors can select either team participating and set their bet. If the bookie presents the possible outcome as To Score Over 2.5 Goals, it means that a given team should score at least 3 goals for the bet to succeed.

These football betting markets merely touch upon the surface of the lucrative and exciting options that you can find for your football bets. Other widely popular options comprise Correct Score, Draw no Bet, and Goalscorers to name a few. With betting offers brought to you by BetReligion, trying out the various bet types to find the one to capitalise upon is an easy and enjoyable task. Browse our website to find the bookie featuring the most markets for your favourite football fixtures.

Tennis betting markets

Tennis is truly an international phenomenon with a dedicated fanbase around the globe, so bookmakers never miss the chance to provide a wealth of markets. Below are the most attractive opportunities for tennis provided by the top betting sites.

Correct Score

Correct score betting is simple – just predict the final score of any given match and bet accordingly. For instance, in a match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, you might make a bet that Nadal would win by 2-1. Though difficult to forecast accurately, this market offers great returns with fantastic odds.

Total Sets

In this market, bettors wager on the total number of sets played in an upcoming match – for example a match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray might require five sets for it to end successfully. While this market can be easier to predict than the rest, it still provides lucrative odds and payouts.

Winner

The Winner Market is one of the most popular tennis betting markets, as you can bet on a full-time winner, set winner or game winner of the match. For instance, in an encounter between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova you might opt for this market and predict Serena will win the first set, while the full-time winner may be Maria.

Live tennis betting options presented by 10Bet

Handicap

Handicap betting is an increasingly popular tennis betting market that provides more lucrative odds than traditional match-winner bets. Here, a bookmaker gives one player a virtual handicap advantage while handicapping the other player with a virtual disadvantage. This value may take the form of games or sets and may vary between the online operators. Those placing bets on the favourite will win if that player beats his or her handicap value by more than winning or losing less than it; those placing handicap bets on underdog players win outright or lose by more than the handicap value, while a punter who places a handicap bet on the underdog will win if the underdog either wins the match outright or loses by less than the handicap value.

Player total games won

This bet type involves the bookie setting a line for the total number of games a player is expected to win during a match, and users can bet on whether the actual number of games won by the player will be over or under that line. This market offers a great alternative to traditional match-winner bets, as it allows bettors to back a player they believe will perform well without having to predict the exact outcome of the match. Bettors should consider factors such as the player’s recent form and head-to-head record against the opponent when making their bets in this market.

Any Set to Finish 6:0

This market allows bettors to predict whether any set in a match will end with either player scoring 6-0 in their favour. It offers excellent odds provided the bet is a success. But be wary: this market can be highly unpredictable and usually reserved for those looking for high-risk, high-reward bets. Player form, surface conditions and head-to-head records all impact whether sets end in 6:0 scores, so before placing bets here be sure to conduct sufficient research.

Basketball betting markets

Betting on basketball has long been an enjoyable hobby for fans, and top bookmaking platforms typically provide a range of markets for this sport. Here is what sportsbooks have in store for basketball enthusiasts:

Spread Betting

Spread betting is a type of bet in which a betting site handicaps one team by a certain number of points, and then the bettor may either predict them to beat this spread by more or lose by less than it depending on whether the handicap is negative or positive. Alternative spread betting allows punters to pick a different point spread with a more favourable payout. For example, if their favourite team is handicapped at -10 points at lower odds, they could choose to bet on the favourite to win by more than 10 points at lower odds or win by a margin of 6-9 points at higher odds.

Live basketball betting options presented by AllBritishCasino

Over/Under

Over/Under, or Totals betting is also well-represented in basketball and involves making a wager that the combined score of both teams in a game will either surpass or fall below a specific threshold — typically 220 in the NBA. Furthermore, bettors can place bets on first or second-half total points scored, in which case the total points for each half will be set by the sportsbook individually.

These two general bet types comprise the basis of basketball betting options that extend far beyond Winner. By making use of these markets, punters gain the ability to place bets on multiple outcomes of a basketball game, making the wagering experience more exciting and engaging. Keep in mind that these markets may be affected by several variables, so research must be completed prior to placing any bet.

Volleyball betting markets

Volleyball is a dynamic and thrilling sport that draws in betting enthusiasts from around the globe. Thanks to its global appeal, wagering opportunities are plenty, and punters may access various markets that enable more informed bets and increased profits. Here are some of the options to explore.

Winner

The simplest volleyball betting market is Winner, which involves bettors placing wagers on whichever team they think will be victorious. This market allows bettors to predict the winner of the match or a particular set requiring good use of the bettors’ knowledge and luck.

Over/Under

The over/under market is also popular in volleyball. Just like the rest of Totals markets, this bet type allows bettors to wager on whether the total points scored in a match or set will surpass or fall below a specific number. Bettor must possess an in-depth knowledge of both teams involved in order to make informed predictions in this market.

Live volleyball betting options presented by QuinnBet

Total Points Odd/Even

In a way, this market resembles the over/under market in that bettors can wager on whether the total points scored in a match or set will be an odd or even number, providing bettors with another unique and potentially profitable betting opportunity. Keep in mind, that this bet type is among the most luck-influenced ones. On the plus side, it requires little knowledge of in-depth details regarding the match conditions and the teams participating. While less popular than winner/over/under markets, bettors can utilise this unique wagering opportunity.

The world of betting is a diverse place that offers valuable and exciting options for everyone. Betting markets lie at the centre of this variety and go a long way in providing a lucrative experience for all. Remember, that choosing one of the top bookmaking options involves sufficient bet types and competitive odds on all of them. Make sure to do your research and use BetReligion’s lists and ratings in your search for the betting site with the broadest market coverage. Happy betting!