Mixed martial arts fighting is one of the fastest growing sports out there right now, and as a result, betting on the major matches is becoming very popular. Before, sportsbooks would only offer the big Pay-Per-View boxing matches for wagering, but thanks to the widespread use of internet casinos and sports books, now even small matches can be found, and this goes well beyond boxing and into the UFC and other MMA venues.
Betting on fights is really easy. Usually, the outcome is pretty simple. There are two fighters and one winner. Like baseball, MMA/boxing bets are generally done through the money line. Rarely are two fighters ever considered exactly even, so there will be a favorite and an underdog to choose from. The favorite will have a negative value—the amount you need to risk to earn $100—and the dog will have a positive value—the amount you can win by risking $100. So if the line is -225/+185, you would have to risk $225 on the favorite to have $325 returned to you. With the underdog, you would risk $100 for the chance to have $285 credited to your account.
However, you can choose a lot of other little things to bet on, too. You can choose from several prop bets, plus some books even will offer you live betting between rounds. These make your bets much more interactive and can enhance your experience while cheering on your favorites. One of the more heavily used wagers is whether or not the fight will go the distance. If the fight is scheduled for nine rounds, you will simply have to choose whether the two fighter will stay upright until the end, or if there will be a KO, or if the ref will call the fight prior to completion because of fighter conditions. This can be a pretty good bet to take if the conditions are right. For example, if one fighter is a heavier favorite, the chances that the fight will go nine rounds before they are able to finish the job is lower than if both fighters were evenly paired defensive fighters. However, the books will account for this and adjust the line on this prop accordingly. But, if you think there’s a 75 percent chance that the fight will end before the final bell, even taking a bet at -290 can be an attractive choice for you.
Another type of bet that you will often see is how the match will end. This presents a few different choices. In the Carlos Condit v. Martin Kampmann fight, for example, you can choose whether Condit will win by decision, by KO, if Kampmann will win by decision, KO, or if the judges will call it a draw. That’s five different outcomes, just on one fight. You can further spice things up by trying to determine who will win and in which round. Again, the ardent fan can sometimes find good value here, but you will need to quantify the players involved and try to predict how they will fight paired up against the current competition. Quantify the chances of something happening, and then try to find an overlay with the payouts being offered by the books. Most books will have pretty efficient lines, but as action changes the lines, you can often find something that looks like it will work out in your favor. Like any other sport, MMA and boxing betting can be a lot of fun, but the truth is, if you want to be successful here, it will take a lot of hard work and study before you can devote yourself to becoming a full time bettor.