If you have a foggy idea about sports betting but are deeply interested in this activity, our beginners guide is just what you need! The guide will answer all burning questions about sportsbooks, odds, bet types, and strategies that you can put to good use right from the start.
If you want to broaden your horizons to the fullest, here is our A-to-Z thorough guide to betting on sports in Tanzania.
What Is Sports Betting?
Sports betting is both an entertaining and moneymaking activity held offline and, nowadays, much more commonly, online by sportsbooks, aka bookmakers. It requires you to predict a likely event outcome and support it with an amount of money called a stake.
If the sports prediction you make is correct, you win and get paid by the bookmaking firm. If the event does not end up the way you expected, you lose and leave the sportsbook empty-handed. To sum up, a sports bet or wager is a financially backed prediction of a sporting game.
Bookmakers furnish odds for each potential outcome that display its likelihood and return. The higher the odds, the more the return. There may be a bunch of wagers relating to how the event will turn out and what will happen in the course of the game, like in the example below.
| Manchester City vs. Real Madrid | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1X2 (Win Draw Win) | Both Teams To Score | ||||||||
| 1 | 1.70 | X | 4.50 | 2 | 5.00 | Yes | 1.60 | No | 2.40 |
| Correct Score | Total Goals | ||||||||
| 0-0 | 3.00 | 0-1 | 5.80 | 1-0 | 3.30 | 0 | 3.20 | 1 | 6.10 |
| 1-1 | 6.40 | 1-2 | 24.10 | 2-1 | 14.00 | 2 | 5.95 | 3+ | 13.90 |
How Do You Choose Wagers?
The quick answer is you should choose what you know well. That means you should have a clear understanding of the type of wager, as well as the sport and event you predict. But first of all, you should be aware of dependable betting websites and their mechanics.
There are many worthwhile sportsbooks in the Tanzanian online space, so you are sure to find one for yourself. What to look for on the website is the appropriate legal basis, licensing, and pricing in addition to your preferences in sports, payment methods, design, and functionality.
The betting scenario is generally the same on all sites, and the steps to place a wager include:
- Registration using your personal details.
- Verification through your contact information.
- Depositing to your newly registered account.
The next step is selecting a sport, league, and event, and this is where you should be guided solely by your liking. So, if you are a hardcore football fan, just follow your passion since experimenting with little-known disciplines may be too costly.
When the game is determined, you need to pick a market and a wager type, which we will elaborate on later, and set a stake in your digital betting slip. The final touches are confirming your wager through the place-a-bet button and checking your betting history for the upshot.
How Do You Calculate Odds?
Odds have a direct impact on the amount you will receive when winning, so finding the site with the best odds is in your interest. The typical odds form on Tanzanian platforms is the decimal format, which is the easiest to grasp and calculate. Let us read the odds for the following match:
| Arsenal | 2.00 | Chelsea | 6.00 |
The first thing the above odds tell you is that Arsenal is the estimated leader or favorite of the game, as the club’s odds value is lower. Conversely, Chelsea is projected to lose, as it has higher odds, and this is an explicit underdog indicator.
Apart from the winning probability and correlation of the opponents, the odds inform you about the return on your wager. The odds value is actually the sum of your potential wins per TSh 1, including your stake. So, to calculate your winnings, you should multiply the odds by the stake.
If you backed Arsenal in their matchup with Chelsea with TSh 100, their proven leadership would bring you TSh 200. But if you risked TSh 100 on the underdog, their less likely victory would return TSh 600.
Types of Sports Bets
Earlier, we touched upon wagering options, now is the time to break them down. Different types and markets of sports wagers showcase various match results and aspects, as well as approaches to betting. The more profound you are as a bettor, the larger your arsenal.
While the terminology may differ, the types of bets are more or less the same across bookies.
Moneyline
Whatever discipline you select, you will inevitably discover the moneyline among the markets. Moneyline betting is predicting the winner of a sporting event, be it a team in a basketball game or an individual player in a tennis match. The final score and other details do not matter.
1X2, also known as a 3-way line, is a moneyline edition that introduces the third option and allows you to support one of the contestants or wager on a tie. Depending on the market selection, you may predict the winner of the whole match or who will win a certain period.
Totals
For totals, you pick a precise number of goals or points instead of a team or athlete. As a result, there may be a host of options. For instance, football totals may be set as 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6+ goals scored per match. If you stake on 0, and neither team scores, your wager succeeds.
Totals may relate to both the collective points scored by both teams or the points bagged by a particular team. Other editions involve predictions of total points scored within a specific period, such as a half or quarter. Moreover, you may predict the total number of rounds or sets played.
Parlays
Parlay is a wager type that enables you to make as many predictions as you wish, unless they exceed the bookmaker’s limits, and add them to one betslip. Thus, you can place a 2-prediction parlay or double, a 3-selection parlay or treble, and even a parlay consisting of 60 pickings.
A successful parlay, aka accumulator or multibet, is the holy grail for bettors as it entails tremendous returns, which are the product of the stake and odds of all selections in a parlay. The flip side of the coin is higher risks, as every prediction must be correct for the parlay to win.
Futures
Futures, also called outrights on some betting websites, are predictions of forthcoming competitions, such as tournaments and championships within a league. Your goal is to keep a watchful eye on training camps and preseason games to pick out a future season winner.
For example, if you follow the National Basketball Association, you can try futures betting on the NBA Finals. And if you are a soccer addict, you can place an outright bet on your favored club to become champion of the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, or other football competitions.
Props
Props or proposition wagers shift focus from the final result to happenings in and around the game. While struggling for punters, bookies supply unique options concerning events, teams, players, coaches, and even audiences. Props are much fun and a great offer in terms of pricing.
Team To Score Last, Corners, and Team With Most Bookings are examples of team-related props. Player props include the first, last, or anytime goalscorer and other aspects of player performances. The length of the first ball possession and the anthem’s length are exotic props.
Point Spread
Point spread or handicap betting is a common market found in numerous sporting events, especially the ones where rivals are starkly uneven. To even them out, bookies assign a disadvantage in points to the stronger team and give an equivalent edge to their opponent.
In a 2-way or Asian handicap, you need to predict who will win the game with the handicap factored in, while a 3-way or European handicap allows for a draw. The handicap value, that is, the difference in points, depends on the sport specifics and the disparity in the rivals’ abilities.
Teasers
Teasers are parlays with more bettor-friendly conditions. In addition to choosing events, you can pick certain points for your wager and apply them as you see fit. Thus, you can adjust the point spread by removing the selected number of points from one team and adding them to the other.
Over/Under
The over/under market can be called a variation of the totals, as it also requires you to predict the total points or goals scored. However, you do not have to decide on exact numbers; you only need to tell whether the points will be higher or lower than the predetermined values.
For example, if you wager on a basketball game and opt for the over (160.5), your bet comes through if the total score is at least 161 points. The over/under may refer to the points scored by both teams or each team individually and apply to either the whole game or one of its periods.
Tips on Sports Betting
The theory works best when supported by practical tips. Below is a list of time-tested recommendations that you should heed before setting in motion your sports betting career.
- In-depth research pays off. The more insights you have on hand, the better your chances to succeed. All verified resources will do, including sports news portals, official club accounts on social media, tipster websites, forums, and so on.
- Narrow down your preferences. Choose one or two disciplines and get to know them inside out. Keep track of team and player performances throughout the season and check rankings, statistics, injury reports, and other relevant information.
- Spend your betting budget wisely. Compare the odds across competing platforms and pick out the best offer. Stake only affordable sums and have your daily spending limits. Avoid running risks and winning back your losses and play it cool, no matter what.
- Engage in incentive programs. Bookmakers are interested in having you as a long-term client and, therefore, grant coupon codes, hold promos, and provide bonuses. Be on the lookout for good deals and participate in them to your advantage.
How to Understand Odds
Betting odds do help distinguish between favorites and underdogs, but sometimes, the odds are not what they seem. The lines do not guarantee a win for the team and may simply reflect its publicity. Except for popularity, bookmakers consider the following factors when allocating odds:
- Morale
- Injuries
- Substitutions
- Weather
- Host city
- Venue
Favorite vs. Underdog
Even if a team is an underdog by all odds, it might surprise you and end up a winner. Wagering on underdogs is more profitable, as the odds for them are always higher. But how do you know when to bet on the expected losers? It is again all about research, and here is what to look at:
- Actual talent, not the public perception.
- Previous matchups and their outcomes.
- The game’s bearing on the team’s future.
Best Wagering Strategy
Your best wagering strategy as a newbie should be a cautious play with small-size stakes, minimum risks, and easy-to-understand markets. Make single selections in the sport you are at home with, starting with the moneyline, the most straightforward market of all.
Sports Betting Handicappers
While a handicap is a market type, a handicapper has a very different meaning. It is a sports betting professional who analyzes events, makes predictions, and sells them to punters. Handicappers dig really deep and are knowledgeable about the nuts and bolts of the industry.
The question is whether you need a handicapper’s assistance or can do well without it. With the wealth of resources on the internet, their services may seem pointless, let alone overpriced. So the answer is yes, you can do without handicappers as long as you do all the work for them.
Bankroll Management
A bankroll is a budget set aside for sports betting or other gambling activities. Consistency is instrumental in managing your bankroll. That means you should risk the same amount on each stake. Beginners are advised to spend 1% to 3% of their wagering budget taken as 100%.
Expected Value Calculation
The expected value is a gap between the odds offered by the bookie and the outcome’s real odds or probability. Your goal is to find a positive value when the real odds are higher than the ones offered. You can use free online calculators to determine the value and see if it is worth it.
Sports Research
It has been said already that research is your recipe for success, and the devil is in the details. If you want to make it in sports betting, you should monitor everything that affects teams and athletes directly and indirectly, including management and coaching staff, transfer windows, etc.
Moving Lines Explained
Odds can move up or down right before a kick-off. It happens for various reasons, such as new developments and bettors’ rush around the game or the bookie’s desire to cut potential risks and losses. You should track line movements, understand their reasons, and react promptly.
F.A.Q.
To reduce the risks of losing money, you should place only well-informed bets on familiar sports and markets. You should rely on thorough research and objective evidence, not your personal preferences. If you get into a losing streak, pause your game and do not chase losses.
The easiest bets relate to sports with straightforward rules, such as tennis, football, basketball, and horse racing.
Positive and negative odds are used in the American odds format. Pluses are assigned to underdogs, while favorites’ odds are with a minus sign. Negative odds indicate the amount you have to stake to win TSh 100; positive odds show your wins for a stake of TSh 100.
