The Basics of Prop Betting

Our prop betting guides are packed with tips and advice to help you bet confidently and responsibly across all sports.

For Prop Betting Beginners

Get Started with Prop Betting: Learn the basics of prop betting, including player props, game props, and pure entertainment props.
Understand Key Terms: Learn the most important terms like over/under props, yes/no bets, correlated props, and parlay prop bets to understand these markets better.

Responsible Tips and Strategies

Popular Prop Betting Strategies: How to approach top prop betting markets with strategies like statistical analysis, game script prediction, and finding value by comparing prop lines at different sportsbooks.
Mastering Player Props: A guide to betting on player-specific events from touchdown passes in football to total points in basketball.

Why Our Guides Stand Out

Our prop betting guides are for all levels of bettors and focus on responsible gambling.

From understanding odds and line movement to navigating different online sportsbooks’ prop markets, our guides provide nuanced, neutral information and real-life examples.

You can't make a responsible prop bet without a firm understanding of how odds work. Odds represent the probability of outcomes as determined by the sportsbook you're betting with. They decide your potential winnings.

Below is a summary of the odds you'll see on prop bets on major sports:

American Odds

Most common in the United States. They display odds as either positive (+) or represented by a minus sign (-) numbers.

Positive Odds (+): Represent the amount of profit you would earn from a bet on an underdog.

Negative Odds (-): Indicate the amount you could win by wagering on a favorite.

For our example, let's say the amount bet was $100:

If Steph Curry has odds of +150 to score 30 or more points, a successful $100 bet on him would win $150 in profit (for a total payout of $250).

If Patrick Mahomes has odds of -120 to clear 250 total passing yards, you need to bet $120 to win $100 in profit (for a total payout of $220).

Decimal Odds 

Commonly used in Canada, it shows the total payout (including your initial stake) per unit wagered. The higher the decimal, the less likely the event is to occur, but the potential payout is larger.

Example (return on a $100 bet):

If Steph Curry has odds of 2.75 to hit four or more three-pointers, a $100 bet on him would return $275 ($175 profit + $100 stake) if he makes them.

If Saquan has odds of 3.10 to rushing for 150 or more rushing yards, a $100 bet will return $310 ($210 profit + $100 stake) if he reaches that total.

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds, popular in the UK, express the profit relative to the stake. The first number is the profit, and the second is the stake required.

Example (return on a $100 bet):

If the New Jersey Devils have odds of 1/3 to score more than two goals in a single game, a successful $100 bet on them would yield a profit of $33.33 (for a total payout of $133.33).

Although there is a dizzying array of prop betting markets, here is a summary of some of the most popular you will find related to major North American sports leagues.

One of the things that many bettors enjoy about prop betting is that it creates the opportunity to wager on non-traditional sports betting outcomes.

The Super Bowl is particularly famous for these types of props, as the NFL's championship game provides bettors with the chance to place wagers on just about everything.

Because prop betting provides so many options, it may be easy to get carried away, but it's important to apply the same responsible gambling principles to it as you would any other betting.

Setting a budget is key to responsible sports betting. Allocate a portion of your disposable income to betting, and keep each money line or straight bet at 1-5% of your total betting bankroll.

There are also other limits you can set that can help keep your betting under control, including:

• Time Limits
• Loss Limits
• Deposit Limits
• Bet Limits

If you feel like you are developing problematic gambling tendencies, you may also consider putting yourself on a self-exclusion list or contacting a problem gambling hotline.

Prop betting can add excitement to every play and individual performance within an event, but staying responsible is key to making it enjoyable.

Set a clear budget, stick to it, and avoid the pitfalls of chasing losses or betting based on emotion. Research player stats, understand the odds, and know the rules to make smarter, more informed bets.

Whether you're wagering on a quarterback’s passing yards, a basketball player’s total rebounds, or the first goal scorer in a soccer match, responsible betting ensures you enjoy the action without unnecessary stress. Using licensed sportsbooks and following sports betting regulations, you can keep the fun in prop betting while minimizing risk.

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