Straight Betting | Types of Straight Bets

This betting option means placing a bet on a single outcome of a sporting event. You can place a straight bet on a point spread or a money line. It mostly has to do with placing a bet on the winner of a game or match.

It is completely different from other types of bets like parlays, future, round robin bets, teaser bets, if bets, win reverse bet, etc. which will be discussed here too.

There is no hard and fast rule on how to bet straight win. Just follow these easy steps below:
1. Choose the sporting event you want to bet on
2. Select the odd you want and this will automatically appear on your bet slip
3. Enter the amount you want to stake in the box and your potential profit will show
4. Tap “Confirm Bets” then “Place Bets” to approve your selections
5. View your bet by clicking the Betslip section. This will help you confirm that your bet was approved
Then patiently wait for the outcome of your bet.
Let’s take a look at the types of straight bets.

To understand how straight betting works, you need to get acquainted with the various types:
1. Straight bet point-spread
This is also known as the line or spread bet. The favourite team is handicapped and points are deducted then added to the underdog’s points. The favourite team always has a minus (-) sign before their point while the underdog has a plus (+) sign. For example you cand find them under these forms: Asian handicap  1, -1 Asian handicap, Asian Handicap +0.5, Asian handicap -0.5 or even over 0.5 goals. In soccer and other sports, the team with the lesser odds is the favourite while the team with more odds is an underdog.
It won’t be wrong to call this a straight bet handicap. For example, if Chelsea is the favourite team to win Newcastle, the sportsbook may set the handicap at 2-0 in favour of Newcastle. If you place a handicap bet on Chelsea to win, and the outcome of the match is 1-0 win by Chelsea, you will lose the bet. But if Chelsea wins by 3 points or goals, your bet will win. To win this type of bet, the actual goals at the end of the match should be higher than the handicap goals awarded to the virtually advantaged team. The same thing applies to NFL Football.

Take a look at the table below:

Let’s draw our illustration from the table above. If you stake on Detroit Lions to win by 4 points and above then it succeeds, you will win your bet. Meanwhile, if the Detroit Lions wins by just 4 points, the bet will be regarded as push (a betting push means a draw in NFL Football). In other sports, the handicap line is represented as fraction most often, for example – over 2.5 goals.
2. Straight Bet
The bettor is simply placing a bet on which team or individual will win the game or match. For instance, you can stake a straight bet on the home team to win away, away to win home team, and both teams to draw. The bettor’s interest here is just a single bet. For instance, it’s like placing a wager on either Chelsea to win over Liverpool or vice versa. You could also bet on both teams to win, but that is subject for another article. We detail it in our “Can you bet on both teams to win?” article guide.
3. Straight Bet PK
This bet simply suggests that you are placing a bet on a particular team to win the match.

From the table above, it suggests that Chelsea is the favourite team while Liverpool is the underdog. Placing a straight bet PK on Chelsea simply suggest that the team will win at the end of the match. It is not to be confused with the point spread PK, which means that both teams have the same odds and equal chances of winning. The point spread in this case is 0 and displayed as PK. If you bet on the PK on a team if the team wins you win and get your stakes refunded in case of a draw. We explain more in our “what does PK mean in betting?” article.
But returning to the straight bet PK, it means the same thing in NFL football, basketball, baseball, etc.
4. Straight Bet Game Total
Here you are placing a bet on the total points or goals that both teams will get at the end of the match. The success of this bet is not dependent on the individual points of a team rather the total of all the points in the match. The margin is often set above as over or under a particular margin.
5. Game total bet
To understand this betting option, let’s take a look at this soccer table below.

To place a game total bet, you have to select from the 3 options, i.e. over/under 1.5 (that is over or under 2 goals), over/under 2.5 (over or under 3 goals), and over/below 3.5 (over or under 4 goals). Depending on the option you choose, you will either win or lose your bet. There are variations to the over/under bets which may include a refund. They are found under different names, like total goals, alternative goal line or asian lines.
In NFL Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. the odds are set a little bit differently. The scoreline margins are higher than soccer. The bookmaker can set the total points spread to be over/under 200 points in a basketball. For instance, if the outcome is 120 for Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers earn 82 points and you stake over 200 points, you will win the bet; 120 plus 82 equal to 202.
6. Straight Bet Money Line
There is no much difference between Straight Bet Money Line and straight Bet PK. The major difference is that you are taking a bet to cover the money you intend to win. A single money line bet is called a straight bet money line. To wager on the favorite team, you must stake the amount stipulated as margin to win $100. Meanwhile, for the underdog team, you have to bet $100 to win the money line spread. Take a look at the money line table below to understand it.
7. Money line bet
This type of bet can be easily understood with the table below. It is the same thing as the straight bet money line.

Our main focus is on the moneyline column. The moneyline for the Detroit Lions is -170 while J Happ is +150. The moneyline column means that you have to bet $170 in favour of Detroit Lions to get $100 while for J Happ is $150. If you stake in favour of Detroit Lions and it succeeds, you will get your $170 bet plus $100. The same goes for the J Happ team if you stake in their favour.
Other games like basketball, Hockey and baseball moneyline mean the same thing.
8. Straight Bet – Puck Line
This straight-line bet is for a hockey game. You are simply placing a bet on the team that will win the game. So you can also apply the illustration of a Straight Bet PK here.
9. Straight Bet Run Line
This type of straight bet is simply a combination of spreads and odds. Assuming you stake a bet on the favourite team, they must win more than the stipulated margin. This is a baseball straight line bet. Let’s make use of this table to understand how a Run Line Bet works in baseball.

If stake in favor of Chicago Cubs, it means that they must win by 2 runs for your bet to succeed and also bet $155 to win $100. A bet in favour of New York Mets means that they can lose by 1 run or win the match. You have to stake $100 to win $135 in the case of an underdog.

1. Parlay Betting
This type of betting option comprises of a series of multiple single/straight bets that are combined. This is more like accumulating two or single bets. It is not easy to win but if you do, the payout is always reasonable.

Assuming that you choose the following events from the table
Chelsea v Liverpool = away to win home 2.90 odd
Everton v Bolton = home to win away team 1.50 odd
Manchester City v Newcastle = both teams to draw 1.50
If any of these bets do not succeed, you will lose. All the bets must succeed for you to cash out. These odds will be accumulated and it will be 2.90+1.50+1.50=5.90. Your possible profit will be determined by the amount you stake. If you Stake $100, your possible profit will be 100 x 5.90= $590. The bet of $100 will be returned to the bettor if he/she wins the bet.
2. Teaser Bets
There is no difference between the parlay bet and teaser bet. You have to accumulate a series of straight bets including multiple bets, proposition bet, handicap bet, etc. The entire wager must succeed to win. The slight difference is that you can change the points spread between 4 and 10 points. 3 and 7 points are the most common margin of victory or key numbers in sports betting NFL.
3. Futures Betting
The bettor is expected to predict the winner of a competition or a season. For instance, you can predict which team will win the UEFA champions league. The payout is usually very high. Imagine you choose Chelsea to win the UEFA Champions League, it means they have to scale the group stage, quarterfinals, semifinals, and eventually win the championship. The same thing applies to other sports too.
4. Proposition Bets
This is also called a special bet. Here you are a placing a straight-up bet (means the same thing as straight bet) on events that don’t have to do with the winner or loser of the match. For instance, a bet on which team will score first or which player will score the first goal are examples of proposition bets. These can be part of bets such as the scorecast bet (predict both the correct score betting and the goalscorer) and the wincast bet (predict both the winner of the match/draw and the goalscorer).
5. Round Robin
This is a combination of up and down bets, 3 doubles, and an accumulator. You don’t need all the games to succeed to cash out some profit. You need just one game to succeed but the payout is usually small. If all the events you selected to win, the payout will be huge.

1. Auto racing
A straight in auto racing simply means choosing the car that will win the race. Assuming race comprises of 10 cars, you expected to select which car will win the race or come between first and third position.
2. Baseball
A typical example of straight in baseball is straight bet run line. It involves wagering on a particular team to win by a particular number of runs. This type of bet has been explained extensively here already. Scroll up to a few paragraphs to refresh your memory.
3. Basketball
You can wager on the total number of points from both teams at the end of the game or a moneyline bet. Straight betting in basketball is more than just who wins the total number of points, or the moneyline bet. You can also place a straight bet on the proposition of the match. For instance, you can place a straight bet on who will commit the first foul. They are so many straight bet basketball options. Just pick one and wager.
4. Boxing
The straight bet options in boxing and UFC are very few compared to other sports. You are expected to wager on the winner of the match after all the boxing rounds or after the end of a particular round. Round betting boxing has other varieties, like: exact round betting, over/under round betting, half round betting or odd/even round betting If you wager on A to win B at the end of the first round and B wins at the end of all the rounds, your bet will succeed. Learning how to read boxing odds will help you when placing bets on boxing.
5. Football
They are numerous straight bet football options. You can wager on the outcome of the game, which team scores the first point, or which player scores the first point. You can also stake straight bet on the moneyline of a football match. But wait, in football one of the most common types of bets are about the goals, so read more about our new article: under 3.5 goals meaning.
6. Horse Racing
A straight in horse racing is simple and straightforward. The bettor wagers on the horse that will win the race. Just pick your favourite horse and place a bet that it will win the race. Don’t go for the underdog, wager on the favourite horse. Even if it may not be the smartest bet in horse racing, it is the safest. Have a look at what tipsters have to say, as they provide their best bet daily on races, also called a horse racing NAP.
10. Hockey
There is no difference in placing a straight bet in hockey or soccer. They are almost the same thing. You are simply going to predict the team that will win the match. If you don’t want to stake a straight bet on the outcome of the game, you can stake a single proposition bet. Let’s say you wager on team A to win B, if your bet succeeds, you will get rewarded with your potential profit.
11. Golf
A straight bet in Golf simply has to do with forecasting which player will finish first, second or third. There is no difference with straight betting in golf, horse racing and auto racing.
12. Future
This event requires that you stake a straight bet on who will win the championship or season. The odds are usually high and your payout is determined by the amount you are willing to stake.
13. Propositions
A proposition straight bet simply implies placing a single bet on any event that will not affect the outcome of the game. For instance, you can stake a bet on the team to commit the first foul or the first car to go the pit in an auto race. Each sport has its proposition bet.

The difference between a parlay and a straight bet is the risk and number of events that are selected. A parlay may comprise of two or more straight bets that are accumulated. If any of bet doesn’t succeed, you will lose the bet. Meanwhile, a straight bet is a single bet on an event.

The best straight betting tip is to bet for the favorite team or player. Although the odds are very small, it is safer. The odds for the underdog may seem high but the possibility of them winning a race is very hard most times. If the odds are small you can increase the amount you want to bet to winner more. However, don’t stake more than you can afford to lose.

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