The sports betting world can be pretty daunting to say the least, especially for those who have no experience in the field. There are so many different sports and markets that you can choose from that things can become pretty confusing really quickly. If you are new to betting on sports, this is the guide that you have been searching for. All you should know about sports betting can be found here, so let’s crack on.

Best Online Sports Betting Sites

If you want to start online sports betting, then you obviously need to have an account with a sports betting site. There are many Ireland betting sites that you can open an account with, but below we are going to take a look at three of the very best betting sites. If you decide to register with these, we are sure that you will end up having a quality sports betting experience.

Bet365

Every experienced bettor out there will be well aware of Bet365 since they now have millions of punters from across the globe. What makes them an attractive prospect to many is their quality Welcome Bonus and the fact that they offer some of the most diverse and innovative sporting markets out there. To top it off, when it comes to withdrawals and deposits, there will be nothing for you to complain about since they give their customers the chance to use the best banking options available.

Betway

Betway has become one of the most popular bookmakers in the world thanks to the fact that they have a top loyalty scheme and a really good welcome offer. They have a quality mobile app that gives you the chance to place wagers wherever you happen to be, and the odds that they offer are always really competitive. Also, if you love placing bets on eSports, Betway is a site you need to check out.

William Hill

William Hill is now a really popular sportsbook because it is one of the best for betting on popular sports such as horse racing and greyhound racing. Not only do they provide their customers will some of the best odds for horse racing, but they also offer a quality horse racing radio chance where you can listen to many great tips and betting advice. In addition to this, they also have a very good welcome bonus, and they are always happy to treat their existing punters to some quality promotions. Also, if you ever come across any issues, their top-quality customer care team will sort them out in no time at all.

The Best Sports to Bet on

One of the best things about betting online is the huge number of sports and markets that are on offer. In this next section of this guide, we are going to take a look at some of the best sports to place bets on.

Football

When it comes to thinking about the best sports to place bets on, we have to start with football since it is now the most popular sport in the world. Due to the popularity of this sport, you will always come across quality odds since bookmakers are always trying to outdo each other to attract more punters. Also, when it comes to football betting, you will be able to put your money on a wide variety of markets, ensuring that things never end up getting boring. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is fast approaching, so be sure to consider some World Cup betting.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is another great sport to bet on because the odds, even for the favourites, are usually quite high, meaning that a lovely profit is often guaranteed if you manage to make some correct predictions. Many horse races are live streamed by bookies, which means that if you bet on a horse race, you should be able to follow all of the action and hopefully cheer your chosen horse to victory. Additionally, since horse races are quick, there is plenty of entertainment to be had.

Tennis

When it comes to individual sport, there is not much that can compete with the action-packed ferocity of tennis. While tennis is not as popular a sport to bet on as football and horse racing, you can still find great odds to make use of for big tennis events such as Wimbledon and the US Open. Additionally, since licensing rights are not as strict as in other sports, you should also be able to find live streams for big tennis matches, meaning you will not miss out on any action.

Golf

Those who have bet on golf regularly will agree with us when we tell you that golf, despite its reputation as being a boring sport to watch, is actually a very good sport to place bets on due to the fact that the odds are always high since each event usually has more than 100 participants. In addition to the high odds, there is also a great variety of markets giving you the chance to bet on things such as the outright winner, whether a player will make the cut, whether there will be a hole-in-one, and the final winning margin.

How to Bet Online

When it comes to placing bets online, you should not have any problems since it is a very simple process. Below we have given you a step-by-step guide as to how it is that you go about placing wagers on your favourite sports, and you will soon see what we mean when we say it is a really easy process.

1. Open an account with an online sportsbook and deposit some money using one of the many banking options
2. On the homepage, click on the sport that you want to place a bet on, and then click on the competition or match that interests you
3. Take a look through the different markets until you find something of interest and click on it – it will be added to your bet slip
4. Decide how much you would like to stake and add it to the relevant box on your betting slip
5. Once you are happy with your choices, click the submit bet button, and you have just placed an online bet. See, we told you that it was simple

How Odds Work

When it comes to sports betting, the odds that you will encounter will serve two main purposes. Firstly, you can use them to calculate potential winnings - each time you make a bet with a bookie, you will be given odds, and these will determine how much money you can possibly win. The higher your odds, the more you will win if your bet is correct. Secondly, the odds indicate the likelihood of an outcome happening - the more likely it is that an outcome will occur, the lower the odds will be.

The odds that you will come across can be expressed in three ways and these are:

• Decimal
• Fractional
• American

Since there is a chance that you will come across these formats at some stage, it is good to be familiar with them, which is why we are now going to explain the difference briefly to give you a good idea.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds are often found in Canada, Europe, and Australia and they are the simplest of the three different formats. The decimal number that you can see indicates what the total payout will be as well as well as the original wager per united staked. For instance, a winner wager at odds of 1.50 would give you a return of $1.50 for each $1 that you stake. On the other hand, a winning wager of 2.25 would return $2.25 for every $1 that you stake. Even odds are expressed as 2.00.

Fractional Odds

This is the format that is traditionally used in the United Kingdom, although the decimal format is taking over slowly. Calculating your potential payout and profit with this format can be somewhat tricky because for you to calculate your potential payout, you need to add your original wager. With fractional odds of ³⁄₁, you will receive $3 for every $1 that you stake, and you get your dollar back. So, if you stake $10 at ³⁄₁ and your bet wins, you will receive a payout of $40 - $30 profit and your $10 wager.

American Odds

These are also called moneyline odds and are used mostly in the United States. With these odds, you will see either a + or a - sign and the former indicates how much a correct bet of $100 will win, while the latter shows the amount that you need to wager in order to land $100. So, if you come across odds of +150, you know that a $100 wager can return $150 in winnings and your initial stake. If you come across odds of -150, then you know that you need to stake a total of $150 in order to win $100 and your initial wager.

Upcoming Sporting Events for Sports Betting

There are plenty of top sporting events on the horizon that you can place bets on, and you can see some of the main ones in the following table: