Prop bets, otherwise known as propositions bets, make up a unique part of the sports betting market and are often some of the most entertaining types of bets. Proposition bets aren’t focused on the outcome of the game, instead, they offer odds on other aspects of major games and events. From the Stanley Cup props to the variety of great Super Bowl proposition bets available, we’ll cover it all here and answer the all-important question “what is a prop bet?”
They do offer some eye-watering opportunities to bettors, but there is more depth to the prop bet market and experienced sharps often look for value. They can be extremely profitable if you can find the value in the odds.
In this article, we’ll cover how to bet on prop bets and get our readers to the point they’re able to make their first prop bets online. While this guide is focused on prop betting, we do have a number of other guides including betting site basics for newcomers, learning about why betting lines move, and a complete glossary of sports betting terms if you’re not well-acquainted with betting vocabulary yet!
What Is a Prop Bet?
Prop bets are often promoted by oddsmakers and have dedicated sections for each sport, or as an independent page on site. It’s likely, especially as a newcomer to betting, you’ve placed a prop bet before without realizing.
We’re going to give you an example of a prop bet to make things easier. Super Bowl proposition bets provide unique and entertaining betting lines for football fans year after year. For example:
- Heads or Tails? Heads (+110) / Tail (+110)
A simple wager. Anyone can just throw a wager down on that for the fun of it. These kinds of prop bets are common and we’re seeing more and more being offered each year. Another example of a prop bet wager might look like this:
- Russell Wilson to throw more than 250 yards at the Super Bowl 2021 (+130)
Another example could be in the UFC, where prop bets are a popular market among bettors. Dana White has a plethora of exciting fighters, who always put on a show. An example of a prop bet you might see would be:
- Colby Covington to wear a MAGA hat at the weigh ins (+110)
These two examples perfectly capture what constitutes a prop bet. Typically, prop bets aren’t associated with the outcome of the game and are not directly linked to it. Prop bets are unique in this sense and this is what makes them so attractive, especially to casuals.
Types of Prop Bets and Where to Find the “Best Prop Bets”
Proposition bets come in all shapes and sizes. There are no best prop bets per se, it just depends on the market you enjoy playing. As we previously touched on, there are two main purposes of prop bets. But, ultimately, they are still wagers and bettors want to add to their funds with big prop bet payouts!
Prop bets are premade, so bettors don’t really need to think or apply any of their betting strategies other than deciding on the unit being placed. Prop betting really adds to the viewing experience of a major sports event, as casual bettors suddenly make entertainment out of mundane aspects of events.
As we said, prop bets are mainly for entertainment and to entice new players, they are very much at the mercy of lady luck and bettors should avoid wagering large sums of their funds on them.
Prop bets come in all shapes and sizes and can be found across a number of major sports betting markets. If we take for example the UFC, there are prop bets for how many rounds are taken, what the walkout song will be, among other markets. Alternatively, a non-sporting betting market such as political betting offers a broad range of prop bets, such as who will win the popular vote, state betting and presitential prop betting markets running throughout the year.
Bettors can play these types of bets with their own strategy and skill. While this may sound like something complex, what we ultimately refer to is being able to spot value in the market. Educated bets are always going to be the best. Don’t just throw money on a prop because it’s there, find the ones that don’t favor the house.
Prop bets are generally labelled as such on the site. Bettors will be able to browse through the various moneyline and multiple bet options, as well as the various prop bets on offer. Once again, look for value and don’t wager big on props, as they often don’t account for a sharps’ knowledge.
The Best Things About Prop Betting
There are always many sports betting tips and predictions available to bettors. However, these types of websites are built around wins and losses and offer little to prop bet enthusiasts. Prop bets function on different aspects of games, rather than the statistical data we see used in many leading betting strategies, so predictions sites aren’t much use for prop bets.
That said, prop bets allow players to see value in aspects of sports games and events that would normally go unseen. Prop betting markets open up the opportunity to focus on exterior elements of games, breaking down the barriers of standard betting.
Betting can run a little dry sometimes. The mundane can be suddenly a lot more exciting for a stake on a completely new market. The other great thing about making small-stake prop bets is that with a small bet, the outcome doesn’t matter enough to worry about and adds that little bit of excitement we all need on slow days!
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that for those bettors that are looking to venture into a new sports betting market, props are a great way of getting to know the rules and intricate aspects of the sport whilst enjoying a little wager on games!
The post What is a Prop Bet? And how to find the Best Proposition Bets? appeared first on My Top Sportsbooks.
