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subject: Getting the Goods on Props and Futures (part 1) [print this page]

A buddy of mine has always loved the phrase "if I were a betting man" and

uses it whenever he wants to speculate on the outcome of anything going on in the world,

whether it's "if I were a betting man, I'd put money on Brad and Angelina getting

married," or "if I were a betting man, I'd sure like those Nationals right now," or "if I

were a betting man, I'd say Mike Tyson will be in the ring again before the end of 2006."

Well, I am a betting man. In fact, it's the industry in which I've chosen to make a

living. For those of us who want to do more than just talk about various happenings in the

world such as the ones mentioned above, many books including GoSportsBet offer props

and futures. In this two-part article, I'll look at how each of these wagering opportunities

should be approached.

Let's briefly define what each of these betting opportunities entails:

Props: Less-than-ordinary wagering opportunities where a player speculates on various

events in the world, whether it is the result of a national election, the actions of a

celebrity, or a sports or television event (such as what a star will wear to an awards show

or who will win an Oscar). There are plenty of other examples. Players generally do not

see props as a serious opportunity to make a lot of money, (as these events are impossible

to consistently handicap) but they can be profitable ventures, and regardless of the

outcome, wagering on props will add excitement to the event in question.

Futures: Advance lines posted on the winners of major sporting events, including but not

limited to the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Championship, the Stanley Cup

(when there is a season), pennant winners, etc. Betting futures is generally considered

easier to predict successfully, and is just as entertaining as betting props.

Now, let's look at how to bet each type of wager. In this article we'll look at props, and in

the second half of the article, we'll turn to futures.

Props are generally far more outlandish than futures. Futures can be handicapped

by analyzing rosters, looking at trends over the course of a season (eg. "oh, the Yankees

always play well in August and September), or comparing a team to divisional rivals.

When it comes to props, though, you can sometimes make the case that no one can

predict the outcome, perhaps not even the person being wagered on! A month before the

Oscars, does Halle Berry know what color dress she's going to wear? Probably not. Does

50 Cent know if he's going to go to jail before the end of the year? One would hope not!

As you might imagine, props tend to be more entertaining than serious investments.

Particularly when it comes to the more outrageous props (people serving jail time,

future arrests, celebrity marriages/divorces, fan-selected awards such as the Teen Choice

Awards, etc,) one should approach these as pure entertainment. If you're looking to

strictly increase your bankroll, then, as I've said befo re, you should stick to traditional

straight wagers. You are unlikely to find better odds in your favor than the 11 to 10 you

usually risk for a straight bet. However, props can be far more entertaining than straight

wagers, and can deal with subjects outside the sporting world.

Often a group of friends will plan to follow an event, and to make things more

interesting, each will pick a "player" and put a small amount of money on that player. For

instance, one year a group of buddies and I each chose one of the films nominated for

Best Picture at the Oscars, and we each put $10 on a film. The money wasn't of supreme

importance; we just wanted a little extra excitement, and it made for an enjoyable night.

In sports betting, a prop bet is a wager that is not directly related to the final score

in that game or event. One instance in which props can be useful is when you don't have

a great read on a game's outcome, but you have a strong feeling about how one player

will perform. Books often offer over/unders for how many yards a running back will run

for, or how many passing yards a quarterback will throw for, for example. These add

excitement to a game and may make an otherwise non-bettable game more attractive.

In the second part of this article I will look at futures and how they should be bet.

If you are thinking about wagering online visit http://www.gosportsbet.com and they will provide you with a $25 free no-deposit required wager.

Getting the Goods on Props and Futures (part 1)

By: Sam Jones

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