In-play, or live betting, is an exciting feature of online betting that allows you to get more engaged in the game. This form of online betting is characterized by frequent odds changes that depend on the activities that happen in the game. Your team might have less time to score a goal, but that’s what makes in-play betting so thrilling. For more information, feel free to read our sports betting tips.
In-play sports betting: Advantages
Good strategy can’t help you much
Regardless of what the statistics may indicate for a certain game, the outcome is always hard to predict. In sports, anything can happen — a player can get injured or the underdog team can play a heroic match. In-play betting allows you to take advantage of these circumstances and use these factors in your favor. You’ll have enough time to analyze the situation during the half time break, and afterward, you can come up with a more accurate prognosis based on present facts rather than theoretical assumptions. To learn more read our guide on how to decide about the right time for placing a bet?
Intuition
Stats and reports are vital in in-play betting, but you have to listen to your hunches as well. A player’s performance can be influenced by a missed call by the referee or a hard foul committed on him or her. It’s important to analyze these situations before making a final decision. You must try making assumptions based on current events on the field, and take advantage of them.
Better Odds
In-play odds are always higher than the regular ones, and especially higher when betting on the losing team, so, if you think that there is going to be a comeback, play it and you can make a lot of money. In-play betting is particularly interesting when it comes to fast-paced games like ice-hockey and NBA basketball since the odds fluctuate all the time.
More Fun
If you love the thrill of sports and betting, then live betting will knock you off your feet. You get the excitement from watching your favorite teams, and you can bet on them during the game. The bettor can get more involved in the game and make a few bucks while rooting for their team. In live betting, everything happens very fast, which is why these live bets are so unpredictable and exciting.
In-play sports betting: Disadvantages
No time to develop a Strategy
If you are a bettor who makes his or her predictions based on some strategy or research, then you should avoid in-play betting. With live betting, you need to make quick decisions which are usually based on the development of the game, or a hunch. You have a limited time frame to make your predictions, and you won’t have enough time to do in-depth research about the game.
Bettors who think strategically may find live betting boring because their long-term view of players and teams is often useless.
You have to be Quick
When the match begins, you have to make smart decisions if you want to place in-play bets. If a referee calls a penalty, you’ll have only a couple of seconds to act. In live betting, odds fluctuate quickly, and time is of the essence. If you overthink for too long, you might miss out on a great opportunity to make some cash. Just ask yourself — how many times have you predicted that a particular team will score soon, but you didn’t act fast enough? If you notice a potential opportunity, go for it and don’t hesitate or you might end up disappointed.
Coverage Delay
Unless you are at the stadium, there is a great chance you’ll experience a delay when watching a broadcast material, and this can be frustrating when you’re playing live betting. Sometimes, you need to wait for a couple of seconds before you’re able to place a bet. That’s because your coverage is delayed and the system needs some time to stabilize. You’ll often notice that the odds are blocked — it is because something significant is happening on the field (a red card or a penalty kick). In those moments, you’ll just have to be patient.
You need Dedication
With regular sports betting, you examine the matches, make a bet, and that’s it. Afterward, you can go on with your everyday routine and it doesn’t matter whether you watch the game since there is nothing more you can do. If you didn’t watch the game, you can always check the results. With in-play betting, it’s different because you have to watch the game and pay attention to every detail. Yes, this is probably not so hard for sports fanatics, but it can be very time-consuming. Some people just want to have fun when betting instead of wasting several hours a day trying to make a few bucks.
More Losses
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll have less time to make your predictions and place a bet with live betting. This means that most of your bets are going to be based on a hunch rather than in-depth research, which is not a advantageous long-term strategy. Moreover, with live betting, there is a bigger chance that you’ll spend more money because the offers are unique. You must be aware of your budget at all times, or you might end up losing more money than you can afford.
Blurred Judgment
Sometimes, bettors can be biased in favor of their teams, and you need every ounce of your sound judgment when betting in-play. Things can quickly get out of control, but you need to stay objective. Also, sometimes you might be tempted to try betting on the underdog team. But you have to remember that they are considered the underdogs for a reason. Also, the location from which you are playing in-play betting can have a strong influence on your predictions. If you dropped by at the bar and drank a couple of beers, avoid live betting at all costs.
Fewer games are available for in-play Betting
For example, if twenty football games are being played, maybe half of those will be available for in-play. Even the best betting operators in the world, like 888 sports and Betway, don’t cover every single game. Sometimes it can be annoying not to be able to bet on the game you are watching, but that’s the way things work now, and this will hopefully change soon.
