Quick Navigation
- What Is Live Betting? Live Betting Basics
- Types of Live Bets
- Live Betting Odds
- Best Sports for Live Betting
- Pros & Cons of Live Betting
- How to Place a Live Bet
- Live Betting Real-Life Bettor Types
- Tips & Advanced Strategies for Live Betting
- Mistakes to Avoid When Placing Live Bets
- Responsible Betting Practices
- FAQs
Even though most bettors usually focus their attention on pre-match bets, now there is the option to place in-play bets. It means that you can place bets on matches that are happening live at the moment, and amp up the excitement and reap plenty of advantages. We share a complete guide to live betting, one of the fastest-growing aspects of sports betting. Here, you will learn a lot about live betting, the possible bets and odds, as well as some key strategies that can help boost your chances of placing a winning live bet.
- Live betting allows you to take advantage of the dynamic changes that happen during the match.
- The live bets are followed by changing odds and lock periods.
- Live bets provide more value and more variety compared to pre-match bets.
- The live bets don’t work in your favor over time, as these have worse odds than the pre-match bets.
What Is Live Betting? Live Betting Basics
Live betting, also known as in-play betting, is a type of wagering on a sports match or event that is currently taking place. The in-play bets don’t differ from the pre-match bets; in live betting, you get the option to bet on many other possibilities.
Live betting allows you to place in-play bets, for example, placing a bet in the first half of the match on an event you think will happen next. While the most popular sports, such as football, tennis, and basketball, lead the way in terms of live bet popularity, it is now possible to place live bets on an extensive range of sports.
The varied betting options are an essential appeal of live betting. For example, when you bet on soccer, most often, you place a simple moneyline bet. However, in live betting, you can place more varied bets, such as the number of yellow cards, the number of goals scored per half, which player will score the next goal, and even how many corner shots a team will get.
Credit: 20Bet
Types of Live Bets
The live bets don’t differ significantly from the pre-match bets. In fact, you are still placing moneyline bets, over/under bets, totals, or props bets. However, because of the dynamic nature of most sports, you get so many more opportunities for live bets, especially in the variety of prop bets. The table below shares only a handful of the most popular live bets you can make for various sports:
| Type of Live Bets | Description |
|---|---|
| Who will score next | You place a wager on the team you think will score next |
| Next goalscorer | You place a wager on a player you think will score the next goal |
| Time of next goal/point | You place a wager on the specific period you think either team or a point will score a goal will be scored by the player |
| Who will win the first halftime | You place a wager on the team/player you think will win at halftime |
| Who will make the next pass? | You place a wager on the player who you think will make a pass |
As you can note, each of these possible live bets depends on what happens next in the match. It means that in-game bets are not static, but change as the game progresses; the same applies to the availability of certain bets and the odds for those bets.
Credit: 1Win
For many sports, in-play bets are fixed or locked during commercials, timeouts, scheduled breaks, and halftime. After a significant change in the game, such as a goal or a touchdown (depending on the sport), the system resets the available bets and displays new odds. At many of the trusted online betting sites that support live betting, some live bets will be locked and unavailable at all times. So, if you plan on placing a particular live bet, then you have to be diligent and ready to place the bet when it becomes available.
Live Betting Odds
Unlike pre-game bets, where the betting odds are static, the odds for live bets are constantly changing. As the availability of specific live bets changes, so do the odds, which are calculated in real-time. The pre-game odds are calculated using a detailed statistical analysis of each team’s readiness, past matches, and overall preparedness, along with the margin rates provided by the bookmakers.
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Credit: 20Bet
The in-play odds are much trickier to calculate. Typically, live betting sites employ powerful analytical algorithms that enable the real-time processing of all data from the live game. All important factors, such as points scored so far, injuries, fouls and penalties, remaining time of play, and others, are taken into account. The software calculates the probabilities and displays the odds for the available live bets. Apart from mathematical algorithms, many sportsbooks also use odds compilers – experts on the sport who check and analyze each moment from the match. Usually, reputable sportsbooks that support live betting use computer software to analyze games and display odds and lines. They also have a real person double-check the displayed odds and lines to ensure there is no drastic difference that could damage the betting platform.
When it comes to comparing the live odds vs. the pre-game odds, the live bet odds are slightly worse than the pre-match bet odds, according to Invostopedia experts. For example, sportsbooks typically offer -110 lines for totals and spreads on pre-game bets. On the other hand, these are at around -115 for live games. It means that the live bets don’t work in your favor over time. In fact, you need to win a lot more live bets to break even, which is why we recommend you be extra diligent when placing live bets.
Credit: Wazamba
Best Sports for Live Betting
You can find a great variety of sports where you can place live bets, as most reputable online sports betting platforms readily provide live bet options. Now, there is virtually no limit to the sports where live betting is supported, so it comes down to your personal preference to choose the event you wish to place a live bet on.
However, some sports are generally more attractive for live betting than others, and these are usually sports where real-time statistics are more readily available. We are talking about sports like football, tennis, the NFL, baseball, the NHL, MMA, boxing, basketball, and even horse racing.
We can’t single out which is the best sport for placing live bets, as each of the sports we’ve listed here has its special appeal. The table here displays the most often found live bets at the most popular sports favored by Americans:
| Sport | Available Live Bets |
|---|---|
| NFL | Moneyline bets
Point spread bets Over/under bets Next-play props — Run or pass? Will X player’s next pass be a completion or an incomplete pass? Stats-based props — Number of passing TDs by the quarterback Period bets — Team to have the most rushing yards in the period, winners of individual quarters/halves, etc |
| NBA | Moneyline bets
Point spread bets Over/under bets Next-basket props — Which team will score the next basket? A 2-point or a 3-point basket? Period bets — Moneyline/spread/totals lines for individual quarters/halves Team/player-based props — Number of points scored by a specific team within a certain period (quarter/half/total), the number of assists/rebounds/points recorded by a particular player Race to X points — Which team will reach the X-point threshold first? |
| NHL | Moneyline bets
Puck line bets Over/under bets Next goal props Period props — Will X player record a point in this period? How many shots will the X team have in a specific timeframe? |
| MLB | Moneyline bets
Run line bets Over/under bets The outcome of the next at-bat — Hit, walk, or out Inning-based props — How many base runners will a particular team have in a specific inning, O/U lines for the total number of strikeouts |
However, football (or soccer as it is also referred to) is the most popular sport globally. We also prepared the following example with the possible live bets you can place during a live soccer match:
Credit: 22Bet
Credit: 22Bet
Pros & Cons of Live Betting
You can now find the option to place live bets at most online sports betting platforms, which is why we have to outline the positives and negatives of live betting:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
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How to Place a Live Bet
Placing a live bet has become simple, as most online sports betting platforms have a live betting section where you can see all the matches and events that happen live. However, before you can search for a live bet to place, you need to follow these steps:
- Create an account with a betting site that supports live bets – take a look at the top reputable online betting platforms and look for one that supports the features you’d like to try. Create a user account with the online sportsbook and fill in your personal details;
- Deposit money into your account and utilize a bonus – make sure you take a closer look at the available bonuses, as some platforms have a no-deposit bonus for sports bets. Check the minimum required deposit, top up your account, and you’ll be all set;
- Choose the sport you wish to bet on – open the live betting page and browse the sports for which live bets are available, and check out the betting markets;
- Find a live game and choose the type of bet to place – choose the live match you like and check out the offered live bets. Check the odds, select and place your live bet, and then enjoy the game, hoping you’re right in your prediction.
Live Betting Real-Life Bettor Types
Here, we outline the two extremes when it comes to the personalities of sports bettors who prefer to play live bets. We based the profiles on risk-taking behavior, and we have to note that most regular sports bettors fall in between these two types:
- The Risk-Taker: this type of sports bettor typically operates with a larger bankroll and prefers to place bets with higher risks but with highly appealing, large payouts. Risk-taking bettors will often place larger bets that may go upwards of 10% of their bankroll. Sometimes, this type of bettor will balance his bets with somewhat safer bets that include parlay bets and regular live bets.
- The Risk-Avoider: This type of sports bettor typically operates with a smaller bankroll, placing no more than 3% of it on a single bet. The cautious bettor will avoid risk and will often play moneyline bets or spread bets, but will rarely step out of their comfort zone to play live bets that have changing odds.
Tips & Advanced Strategies for Live Betting
The advantage of live betting is the excitement and the option to bet on interesting predictions that were not possible a few years back. To make the most of your live betting experience, we share the following tips and advanced strategies that we found to be highly effective when placing in-play bets:
- Understand the fast-paced changes of odds and lock periods – before you start placing live bets, you need to understand the nature of the live betting odds and lock periods. The displayed odds for live bets are available only for a short time, typically until a change occurs during the match. It is known as a lock period, during which you can place your bet. Some sportsbooks display these in one color or with a small padlock icon next to them, and when they change, they either blink or are displayed in a different color. Make sure you understand these, as you won’t want to miss your chance to place a highly appealing wager you think will come true in the upcoming minutes.
- Do all the necessary pre-game research – always, and we mean always, do your homework and research the teams/players before the game starts. It will help you learn more about the teams and players, like their preparedness, injuries, and abilities, as well as the outcomes of their past games.
- Watch the live game – if you plan to place live bets during a game, you should watch it. You don’t want to invest money in a live bet without all the necessary insights. By watching the game, you gain additional information that can help you place a bet with better winning chances.
- Use statistical live trackers for better decision-making – most sports betting platforms provide highly detailed data on live games, which are updated in real-time. It is a viable in-play betting strategy, as you get immediate visual and statistical insight into the minutiae of the match on which you can base your upcoming live bet decisions.
- Applying a sound budget-management strategy – knowing how to set a viable budget and apply an effective bankroll management strategy is vital in every aspect of online betting. We recommend being diligent, considering your available disposable budget, and setting a betting budget that works with your available funds. Then, plan and divide your bankroll into increments that will allow you to place more bets and increase your winning chances.
Mistakes to Avoid When Placing Live Bets
Making mistakes is an inevitable part of life, and anyone is bound to make a mistake or two when betting on live matches. However, to help you avoid making a significant or very costly mistake, here we list the most common live betting mistakes and how to avoid them:
- Live bets pose higher risks – betting live is inherently risky, mainly due to the fast pace and changing odds. This is why most people tend to get carried away with placing live bets and later regret them. To avoid this, we recommend that you watch and analyze the odds for the live bet and place bets with odds that work in your favor.
- Don’t chase losses – we can’t stress this enough, as chasing losses only causes more losses. Instead, when you lose a bet, make peace with it and don’t try to “invest” more money on an upcoming bet in the hope of recovering your previous loss.
Credit: 20Bet
- Placing bets without understanding the rules of the sports – don’t bet on sports you don’t understand. If you are a fan of football (soccer), then avoid betting on baseball or other sports you are unfamiliar with. Only bet on sports that you know and understand the rules.
- Not considering the game context is critical, as your pre-match analysis can be faulty or incomplete; considering the game context is crucial. Therefore, understanding and considering the game context is vital. For example, some players may play better in front of a home audience, which will reflect on their performance, which is something that you can only conclude when you watch the match.
Responsible Betting Practices
Being responsible with your money is wise, and we recommend adopting the same attitude when it comes to placing pre-match or in-game bets. Here we list the main responsible betting practices that can help you be a better sports bettor:
- Set time and money limits – the live betting markets are pretty extensive, and you can so easily get carried away with attractive odds and bets. So, we advise you to set a fixed amount of money you can use to place in-game bets, and this sum needs to be the money you can afford to lose. Setting a time limit is also vital, as you should not place live bets for hours at a time; instead, you can set a time limit of one halftime of the match where you can make a few live bets, but stop wagering when the game is over.
- Stay in control of your emotions during the game – avoid making decisions when you’re emotional, and only bet when you’re calm and grounded. Making emotional decisions is often a recipe for failure, which can lead to losing more than you can afford.
- Get help if problems arise – if you or someone you know develops problems with placing bets, we recommend you (or they) seek help immediately. If left unaddressed, excessive betting or gambling can turn into a serious gambling addiction that can have long-lasting consequences. To help you, the following links are some resources that provide help to people with gambling addictions: GambleAware, NCPGambling, GamCare, and GamblingHelpOnline.
FAQs
Why Is Live Betting Popular?
Live betting is very popular because it allows bettors to take advantage of the deviations that occur live during the match. Even though one team seemed like the favorite before the game, things can drastically change during the match, which is why many bettors prefer to place live in-play bets.
Is it Better to place a Live Bet or a Pre-Match Bet?
Pre-match bets are usually based on a statistical analysis of the teams, while in-play bets are based on the things happening live at the moment. Placing a pre-match bet is more relaxed, while the live bets bring more pressure and require quicker decisions. We would recommend pre-game bets to casual and risk-averse bettors, and live bets for risk-taking and seasoned bettors.
How Are Live Bet Odds Calculated?
The live bet odds fluctuate and can change rapidly, depending on the match’s development. These are calculated in real-time, using mathematical algorithms and expert-supported opinions, to provide appealing odds that accurately reflect the game’s changes.
Are the Live Betting Odds Higher than Regular Bet Odds?
The live betting odds are usually less favorable than the pre-match betting odds. These may vary in small amounts, but they ultimately work against you over time.
Why Do the Odds Change in Live Betting?
In live betting, the changes in odds reflect the changes and developments in the match that occur in real time. These depend on the score, the players’ performance, and the time remaining in the game.
Are there Limits on Live Betting?
Most sports betting platforms place limits on the live bets you can place. It is because the odds change by the second and the limit on the amount you can place on a live bet is a way for the sportsbook to protect itself from having to pay too much in winnings.
Is Live Betting Profitable?
Live betting can be profitable if you play wisely and follow the tips and advanced betting strategies we listed for you above. To be profitable, you should pick bets with favorable odds that have a real chance of coming true.
What Sports Can I Place Live Bets On?
Today, you can place live bets on a large variety of sports, including the very popular football, basketball, baseball, hockey, NFL, tennis, volleyball, cricket, handball, and many more.
Can I Place a Live Bet Using My Mobile Device?
Yes, you can place a live bet using your mobile device. The best online betting sites either provide a mobile app where you can place live bets or have excellent mobile optimization, allowing you to place a live bet from the browser on your mobile device.
