The world of gambling exploded thanks to the internet and there are now hundreds of different online bookmakers to choose from when betting on sports.

From the established names like William Hill and Ladbrokes to the vast array new up and coming betting sites, you are spoilt for choice.

With increased competition comes the need to offer something different, something which will entice gamblers away from one betting site and no to another. This has lead betting sites to developing new and exciting betting markets.

• How many different betting markets are there?
• Where can you find them?
• What are the best betting markets on which to bet?

There is a huge choice of betting markets on which to bet and you will never get bored thanks to the variety available.

While not every online bookmaker will offer every betting market which exists for all sports, you can easily find the betting market you are looking for using an odds comparison website. If the betting market has been offered for a previous football match for example, you are sure to be able to find it again, if not at the same bookmaker at a different one.

With so many sports betting markets to bet on at betting sites, you are spoilt for choice but we have created a list of all the best betting markets below.

 

1.Match/Race Winner

This betting market involves picking the winner of the match/race. Both teams/players will be given odds reflective of their chances, making one the favourite and the other the underdog. It is your job to decide which player or team will come out on top and you must pay attention to things like home advantage and form of the teams or players.

• Pick match winner
• Favourite or Underdog?
• Home advantage

 

2.Both Teams to Score

This is popular in football and asks you to decide if you think both teams in the match will score at least one goal each. It is a simple Yes or No bet and you must decide if both teams involved have a good chance to score. If one team has been struggling to score goals, you might decide no but if both teams have been scoring a lot of goals the best bet could be yes.

• Will both teams score?
• Is one team struggling to score goals?
• Do the teams have a strong defence?

 

3.Goals/Points Over/under

Used in a variety of sports including football, tennis, rugby and American Football, this involves betting on total number of goals or points scored in a match. The bookmaker will give a specified amount of goals/points and you must decide if you think the teams will produce over or under that number. Like the Both Teams to Score Market, you must decide if you think the teams/players involved can score a high number of points or if it will be a low scoring game.

• Number of goals or points
• Specified amount by bookmaker
• Will the teams produce a high number of goals/points?

 

4.Result/Both Teams to Score

This is a combination of the Match Winner and Both Teams to Score markets as highlighted above and is good when betting on football to increase the odds. If one team is a strong favourite to win the game but has been conceding a lot of goals or the opposition have been scoring regularly, this is a good betting market to use.

• Combination of match winner and both teams to score
• A strong favourite to win
• Opposition been scoring regularly

 

5.Correct Score

As straightforward as it sounds, you must predict what you think the final score will be at the end of the match. This is often a difficult market to predict as scores can change very easily and in for example, it only takes one deflected goal to ruin your bet. The odds are usually good on correct score markets, but this is because they are tough to predict.

• Guess the final score
• Very good odds
• Tough to predict

 

6.Total Goals/Points/Runs

You guess the total of number of goals, runs or points scored in a match. These are usually expressed as decimal, such as 2.5 in football, so there is a clear distinction at the end of the match. This is one of the best betting markets if the teams involved have been scoring a lot of goals/points/runs or conceding them.

• Number of goals/points at the end of the match
• Usually expressed as a decimal
• Have both teams been scoring a lot of goals?

 

7.Winning Margin

The number of goals or points by which a team or player will win the match. If one team is a heavy favourite for a game and the odds are not very good, you could use this betting market to back that team to win by a specific margin, such as 3 goals or 5 points. The same is true if the match has the makings of being close but with one team looking more likely than the other to win, making a 1 goal or small points margin a good bet.

• Number of goals or points difference between the teams
• Could be 3 goals or 5 points for example
• If the match is close, could be a single goal

 

8.Win to Nil

Bet on the team you think will win the match without conceding a goal or a point. This is one of the best betting markets when you have a team which has been performing very well in defence. If they are preventing other teams or players from scoring regularly, you can back them to win without conceding any goals or points.

• Team to win without conceding
• Strong defence
• Poor opposition attack

 

9.Half-time Full-time

Predict which team will be winning at half-time and which team will be winning at full-time. Some teams perform well in the first half of games only to drift away in the second half and lose the game. The vice-versa can also be true and with the correct information to hand, you can find these trends and make this one of your best betting markets.

• Who is winning at half-time and full-time
• Team starts strongly but fades away
• Teams which score late goals

 

10.First Scorer

This is a player specific market and can be used in many team sports. You must bet on the player you believe will score the first goal, try or touchdown. Some players are more proficient than others when it comes to scoring for their team and these will usually have the lowest odds to score first. Sometimes there will be other players who may not score very often but when they do it is often the first goal or points in a game, so look out for these players when using this betting market.

• Player to score the first goal
• Striker on form
• Set-piece takers

 

11.To Score Anytime

Another player specific market but this time asking you to predict a player you believe will score a goal at any time during the match. The odds are shorter than the First Scorer betting market but your bet will remain live for as long as the player is active in the match. This is one of the best betting markets if you believe a player can score a goal or try in a game but later in the match, after the first goal or try has already been scored.

• Player to score at any time of the game
• Set-piece takers
• Defenders who score from corners

 

12.Asian Handicap

This betting markets handicaps teams based on their form. Essentially, a stronger team will need to score more goals to win the game than the weaker team. It helps to even out a match for betting purposes when there is a heavy favourite. The possibility of a draw is eliminated, giving only two options instead of three. If you want to bet on a team to win because you believe there will not be any other outcome, this one of the best betting markets to use enabling you to do that and still win good money from the bet.

• Stronger team given handicap
• Weaker team given advantage
• Makes an unbalanced game level for betting

 

13.Race to X Points

This betting market is popular in sports such as basketball, where many points are scored during a match and you can bet on which team will reach a specified to total first, such as 20 points. Some team start faster in games than others and tend to pile on points early in games and these are the teams to look out for when placing a bet on this market.

• High point scoring sports
• Point total specified by bookmaker
• Some teams start quickly

 

14.Round Betting

Used in boxing and UFC, this allows you to bet on the round you think a fighter will win the bout. It’s very simple to find the past records of fighters and you can this information to decide when you think a fight will end. Some fighters like to go the distance whereas others go for the win early and either knockout their opponent or get knocked out themselves. This is one of the best betting markets when watching a UFC or boxing match.

• Specific to boxing and UFC
• Which round will the fight end?
• Will it go the distance or will there be a knockout?

 

15.Fight Outcome

This involves picking the name of the fighter and their method of victory, whether it be points, knockout, technical knockout or disqualification. Like the betting market above, use the statistics available for each fighter and judge how you think they will perform based on this information. Some fighters win all their fights by knockout whereas others tend to win on a points decision.

• Who will win?
• How will the fight end?
• Points or knockout?

 

16.Total Rounds

The number of rounds a fight will last before it is stopped. Some fights will go the full distance if the participants tend to slug it out whereas others will end early if both fighters are swinging hard at each other. Study the style of fighters involved and make a judgement on how they will approach the fight.

• Number of rounds fight will last
• Will it go the distance?
• Do the fighters like to go for an early knockout?

 

17.Top Batsman

Used in cricket, this betting market asks you to predict the player who will score the most runs in a match. This is one of the best betting markets in cricket, especially when there a batsman on form playing in the match. Some players also enjoy playing against specific teams and in certain conditions and they are likely to score more runs in these situations.

• Who will score the most runs?
• Which batsman is on form?
• Are the batting conditions suitable to the batsman?

 

18.Top Bowler

Also used in cricket, this betting market asks you to predict the player who will take the most wickets in a match. Again, some players will be in great form whereas the pitch may suit a specific type of bowler, who is sure to have some success due to the speed or spin it is producing. If you understand which bowlers prefer which conditions, then this is one of the best betting markets for you.

• Who will take the most wickets?
• Which player is on form?
• Is the wicket good for fast or spin bowling?

 

19.Man of the Match

Which player will win the man of the match award at the end of the match. This is not always easy to predict because it is easy for some players to have an off day or for another to put in a once in a lifetime performance. However, there are many individual talents who can dominate matches, such as Lionel Messi in a football for example and these are the ones you should be looking out for when betting on this market.

• Who will win the man of the match award?
• Which player is in form?
• Individual talent

 

20.Stage Winner

Usually used for betting on cycling events such as the Tour de France, you can bet on which cyclist will win a specific stage of a race. Cyclists usually have different aspects of races they enjoy more than others, such as mountain stages or flat stages and although they may not win the whole race, these cyclists will pick up stage wins. Stage Winner is one of the best betting markets for cyclist enthusiasts.

• Which cyclist will win the next stage?
• Who is in good form?
• What type of stage is it?

 

21.Nine Dart Finish

This is a darts betting market and asks if you think there will be a nine-dart finish in a match or tournament. There is nothing more dramatic and entertaining than a nine-dart finish and while these were very rare in big tournaments in the past, they are becoming more regular as the sport has developed. If a player has been hitting the treble twenty regularly and finishing doubles consistently, you may consider betting on them to produce the perfect leg of darts.

• The perfect leg of darts
• Who is throwing a lot of 180’s?
• Consistent on the doubles

 

22.Total 180’s

How many 180’s you believe there will be in a match, usually expressed as an over/under market like total goals or points. This is another darts market and if a player is in the zone and peppering the treble twenty, they are likely to hit more 180’s. You can go low or high in this betting market, depending on the ability and form of the players involved.

• How many 180’s in the match?
• Both players throwing well?
• Can go high or low

 

23.Top 5/10 Finish

This is a popular betting market in golf and asks you to predict if a golfer will finish in the top 5 or 10 positions in a tournament. Sometimes you will believe a golfer has what it takes to compete at the top of the leaderboard but not win the tournament. This is the best betting market if you have a golfer in mind who could do well but not enough to win the event.

• Used in golf
• Will a player finish in the top 5/10?
• Golfer playing well but will not win

 

24.1st Round Leader

Another golf betting market, this time focusing on which player will finish the first round of a tournament at the top of the leaderboard. Some golfers perform well in the early rounds of tournaments when the pressure is off than they do in the final rounds as the tournament nears its conclusion. These players may not win very often but will find themselves top of the leaderboard after the first round.

• Player leading at the end of the 1st round
• Who is in form?
• Which player makes a fast start?

 

25.Winning Nationality

This is used in golf and other sports and involves picking the nationality of the player or team you believe will win the tournament. Some sports, such as golf, will have many players competing from different countries around the world. If there is more than one player on form from a specific nation you believe can win the event but you are uncertain as to which it will be, this is the best betting market for you.

• Nationality of the winning player
• Several players from same nation competing
• More than one player on form from a nation

 

26.Place Bet

This betting market is popular in events such as horse racing an allows you to be on whether a horse will finish in the top two or three in a race. If the horse wins the race and you made a place bet, you will only receive the same amount of money as you would if it came second of third. However, if you are unsure it will win the race but believe it will come close, you can bet on this market and at least win some money if not the amount you would have won if it came first in the race.

• Popular in horse racing
• Will a horse finish in top two/three?
• Horse in form but unsure of victory

 

27.Highest Scoring Period

Used regularly in sports such as ice hockey, you bet on which period of the game you think will have the most points scored. Some teams will produce high scoring first periods, whereas others tend to come strong in the third our fourth period of games. Look back at the statistics to help you decide which period involving the two teams in question is most likely to produce the most points.

• Used in ice hockey
• Which period of the game will see most points
• Use team statistics

 

28.147 Break in a Match

This betting market is specific to the sport of snooker and asks if you think there will be a maximum 147 break in the match. It does not matter which of the two players makes the break so if both have been in good form, you can cheer each of them on to make a maximum.

• Specific to snooker
• Are the players in form?
• Any history of a maximum?

 

29.Match to go to a Deciding Frame

Do you think the snooker match will need a deciding frame at the end of the match to find a winner? Some matches are a lot close than others and in snooker, the only way to separate the players is to play a deciding frame. Shorter matches, such as the best of 9 frames are more likely to have a deciding frame than a best of 19 frames match, so keep that in mind when using this betting market.

• Will the snooker match go all the way?
• Are the players closely matched?
• Shorter matches more likely to see deciding frame

 

30.Set Betting

Used in tennis matches, this betting market asks you to guess the player who will win the match and what the score will be in sets. Generally, you will have four possible options when betting on three set matches (2-0, 2-1, 0-2, 1-2) and six possible outcomes for five set matches (3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 0-3, 1-3, 2-3). This can be a tricky betting market to predict unless one player has a clear advantage, or they are very evenly matched.

• Tennis betting
• What will the score be in sets?
• Four options for three set matches and six outcomes for five set matches

 

31.First Set Winner

Which player will win the first set in a tennis match. The first set of a tennis match can be crucial, so both players will be doing their best to win it and get themselves in the driving seat. If there is a big server involved in the match who has been blowing their opponents away on their own service game, they can be one to look out for when betting on this market.

• Who will win the first set?
• Which player starts strongly?
• Who has the best serve?

 

32.Tie Break in Match

Will there be a tie break during the match, in any of the three or five sets? Tie breaks occur when the players have played 12 games in a set and the score is still level. Players who have a close rivalry or are both in excellent form are more likely to go to a tie break in a match than players who have a large gap in terms of ability or who have been playing inconsistently.

• Will there be a tie-break?
• Are the players closely matched?
• Both players in form

 

33.Total Games (Tennis)

This betting market can be split in tennis and you have the option of Total Games 2-way and Total Games 3-way betting. With Total Games 2-way you only have Over and Under options but in Total Games 3-way you also have Between, which gives you a slightly wider scope. If one player clearly has the upper hand in terms of ability and form, you can often predict a low number of games in a match as it is more likely to be over earlier than a closely matches encounter.

• 2-way and 3-way betting
• Is one player better than the other?
• The bigger the advantage of one player, the fewer games will be played

 

34.Tournament/Overall Winner

This betting market is more general and focuses on the team/person who will win the overall event or tournament. Premier League winner, Wimbledon winner, US Masters winner, Alpine World Cup winner are all examples of Overall Winner Markets. This is one of the best betting markets if you enjoy having a bet which will last throughout a tournament. However, beware that your team or player could still be eliminated early if it is a knock-out event and your bet will not longer be valid for the rest of the tournament.

• Who will win the event?
• Which players are in good form?
• Who enjoys playing in the specific tournament/event?

 

35.Live Betting

There are many options for live, in-play betting and several betting markets to choose from within different sports.

Many of them involve who you think will score the next goal or win the next game. In tennis for example, you can even bet on the player who will win the next point, that is how detailed live betting markets have become.

In tennis, you can even predict what the score will be on a game-by-game basis, thanks to the game score market.

In addition, the match/game winner odds will also be changing constantly during a match which has the live betting feature, so you can still bet on who you think will win if you didn’t do it before the match started.

Live betting markets are the best betting markets for those who love to feel involved during a sporting event.

• Bet while the event is in progress
• Follow the game to judge the next bet
• Use live streaming where possible

 

Which of the best 35 best betting markets to bet on at betting sites you decide to use is your own personal decision. You have a huge choice and the greatest advice you can take is to only bet on the sports and markets you know and understand.

With so many betting markets available, online betting has never been so much fun and you have a lot of enjoyment learning about them and using them when you are betting on sports in the future.