There are many ways to bet on a sports game, but one of the most common is through the point spread. The point spread is the difference between the expected and actual margin of victory. College football and basketball, for instance, have a large talent gap. In these cases, betting on the moneyline would be unnecessary. By using the point spread, you can bet on a team’s margin of victory without the risk of losing money.

The standard baseball total is eight runs. For example, a Rays victory would mean nine runs scored, and a 6-3 loss for the Astros would mean a push. In this case, you would have won, but your bet would have been canceled. Likewise, betting on the under is a good idea in games where the team with the better pitching staff is overmatched. However, if you don’t know the players’ statistics, you can bet on the underdog instead.

When you place a bet on a future event, you can choose whether to bet on a team’s overall performance or just their individual performance. Futures bets are generally much longer because of the uncertainty regarding the teams’ performance. If you bet on a team early in the season, the odds are usually good enough for a substantial payoff. By contrast, bets on long shots will be more risky than betting on favorites.