In the era of the get rich quick systems there is probably no/not more popular thought than where you feel you can make one big play and win a ton of cash. For most this is essentially what they are attempting to do when they start using sports wagering as a way to make some money. People don’t understand that this is hardly a way to hit the proverbial lottery. However the smart gambler can use their betting as a sort of sports betting money management system that can be very fascinating if done right. The first step in doing this is understanding the terminology.

Sports wagering odds are sometimes the the majority of confusing set of figures the novice will ever see. If a team is the favorite then the odds show them with a minus in front of their number. If the USC Trojans are taking on the Arizona Wildcats and are favored by 14 points, the Trojans will show a line of -14. In this instance the minus sign stands for “favored by” on the opposing side a plus (+) refers to the team being an underdog by as many points as follow that sign.

Presuming you place your wager on the Trojans at -14, you are hoping that USC will win the game by more than two touchdowns. If they do, you win your money. Should they win by less than 14, or outright lose, you have lost your bet. With the majority of sports books, a win of exactly 14 points is regarded a “push” and you break even and get your money back, but simply no more.

One of the other more popular sports gambling types that bettors love to bet on is known as the over/under. With this type the bettor is actually trying to accurately determine what the total points the two teams will combine to score will be. At first look this often looks like the easiest way to make some money, but the over/under can also be the most heartbreaking line to bet on.

Imagine if the over/under on a basketball game was 192 and you bet on the under. With just under five seconds to go, the score was 100-90 and because you did not really bet on who would win, you were feeling good. Then for absolutely no real reason, the losing team’s player put up a long three point shot as time expired that went through the hoop and counted. With the final score 100-93, you just lost the under and your bet to boot. such is the life at US sports book sites.

Rich Vial is a webmaster for US Player Sportsbook Sites & Online Sports Betting. Unique version for reprint here: {title}.