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What Does Straight Bet Mean In Sports Betting?

by Doc's Sports - 10/9/2014

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If someone makes a "straight bet" it means a wager on just one team or individual. You can make a straight bet in the form of a side bet - either as a pointspread or moneyline bet - or as a bet on the total. The alternative to a straight bet would be the wide range of exotic bets you can choose from - everything from multi-team bets like parlays or teasers to the range of prop bets and futures bets you can choose from.

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Many, certainly traditionalists for starters, would argue that straight bets are the purest form of sports betting. This is, they would say, what it is all about - who wins and loses, and how much they win by. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, there are certainly pros and cons to straight bets compared to more complex bets:

Pros

1. They are the most straightforward. With some types of bets you have to figure out what you are actually betting on and how you are going to handicap before you can even get started. With straight bets the objective of your handicapping is obvious.

2. The best are widely available. Every sportsbook will offer straight bets on most games, so you can effectively shop around for the best price.

3. More advice is available. Because straight bets are the most popular, the most education and advice is directed to these types of bets. It’s easier to get better faster with these types of bets than others if you are so inclined.

Cons

1. Because they are the most popular types of bets, they are the most heavily bet. That means that the value can and usually is bet out of them more quickly than exotics.

2. With the exception of betting big underdogs on the moneyline, the returns on each bet with straight bets is small. Even the best bettors, then, need to display a lot of patience because their bankroll will enjoy steady growth rather than rapid growth. Payouts can be much bigger for some types of exotics. On the flipside, though, the math can be stacked against you much more with some exotics than with straight bets.

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