Online sports betting guide, terms, promos, boosts, strategy: How to bet on football, golf, and baseball

You can’t turn on the television these days without seeing at least one advertisement for online sports betting. That’s because sports betting is now legal in 30 states, with more possibly joining them in the near future. If you are new to sports betting terms, learning all the betting styles and terminology can seem very daunting. However, learning the ins and outs of online sports betting terminology isn’t as difficult as you think. To make the learning process a little less stressful, we’ve put together a helpful sports betting guide to get you started. Check out some of these popular terms and see which betting style is right for you. The next thing you know, you will be placing an online sports bet like a pro.

At Caesars Sportsbook, there are more ways to play than ever. With so many new customers trying sports book promos for the first time, Caesars Sportsbook is taking away some of the risk by offering a risk-free bet up to $1,500 for your first wager. Caesars is one of the most trusted names in entertainment and gaming, and a new Caesars Sportsbook promo code can get you into the action right now.

If you are a new registrant who is 21+ and located in an eligible state (AZ, CO, IA, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, VA, and WV)*, you can register, deposit, and get a risk-free bet up to $1,500 with the code GAME15. If your bet doesn’t hit, don’t worry. Caesars will give you a single free bet credit you can use within 14 days. (Terms and conditions apply. See details here. Offer expires 8/1/2022).

One of the advantages of betting with Caesars Sportsbook is that you can earn even more with Caesars Rewards. It’s one of the most generous casino loyalty clubs on the market and extends well past just getting free bets and online rewards. Caesars Rewards members get exclusive member rates at over 50 destinations, with the ability to pile up even more points for playing, dining, staying, shopping and more.

All told, there are plenty of ways to take advantage of your sports book deposit offer.

Sports book betting guide, glossary, terms

Before you play, make sure you know the common betting terms you’ll see. There are dozens of ways to bet on sports, and this handy sports betting guide can help you figure out what some of the most popular sports betting terminology means.

Against the spread: This method is very common and is the most popular way to bet on sports like football and basketball. Both sides are handicapped, with the favorite listed with a minus sign. If a football team is listed as the -8.5 favorite, that side must win by more than 8.5 points to cover the spread. A team listed at +8.5 means that side is the underdog and it must either win outright or lose by fewer than 8.5 points to cover.

Money line: Money line betting is also a popular online sports betting method and is used frequently to bet on baseball and hockey. This method takes away the handicap of points but changes the objective to picking the outright winner based on price. A -200 favorite means that you’d need to bet $200 to return $100 on that side to win. A +200 underdog would return $200 on a $100 bet.

Over-Under: This method is best used if you are expecting a game or match to have a very high or very low score, like in pro basketball. Sportsbooks will set a total number of points expected for a game and then bettors decide which side of that number the combined scores will land on. For example, if a game has an over-under of 200, you can bet on whether the total of the two scores will be more or less than 200.

Outright: This is a popular kind of bet because it is easy to place and doesn’t involve multiple sides or handicapped points. With an outright bet, the bettor picks which athlete will win an entire event. This is a very popular betting method for sports like pro golf where single athletes compete against one another. Outright betting can also be used for title fights or for car races.

Parlay: Parlays are popular because they offer sports bettors a chance to win big with a minimal investment, and they are exciting because the risk is higher. Parlays involve the selection of two or more propositions on a single wager, and all of the teams must win for the bet to become a winner. For example, if you pick five teams on a parlay then all five teams have to win for the bet to be a winner.

Teaser: This method pays lower odds than a parlay, but remains popular because handicappers still find them profitable. Teasers are a variation of point-spread betting in which they allow the bettor to increase the point value of their selected team. For example, let’s say both of your favorite football teams are seven-point favorites and you think they will win their games but you are unsure if they will cover the spread. Using a six-point teaser will drop each team to a one-point favorite, meaning they only need to win by two points for your bet to be good.

Prop bet: Want to bet on something other than the score of a game? A prop bet is a wager on a given outcome within a game or match other than the final score. For example, a prop bet in a pro baseball game can be on whether a big hitter gets a home run, or whether a player on a hot streak gets an RBI. You could even place a prop bet on whether a pitcher logs a certain number of strikeouts in his outing.

Futures: Looking ahead to the next football season? Place a futures bet, which is when you wager on a sporting event or season well in the future. The pro football schedule has been released for next season, so football futures are about to be very popular. Now is the perfect time to check out when rival teams will be in town to take on your favorite football team and place your football futures bet.

Push: A push is a tie from a betting perspective when neither team can cover the spread. For example, if Los Angeles’ pro football team has closed as a three-point favorite against New England and then wins the game 30-27, neither team covers the spread and it is considered a push. When this happens, all bets on the spread are returned.

Handle: The handle is the total amount of money taken in by a sports book for a particular event and it includes every type of wager.

Live betting: You can also wager on your favorite sports in real-time thanks to live in-game odds updates. With pro baseball season in full swing, online sportsbooks let you wager on live-updated totals or even the outcome of the next at-bat. With the baseball schedule being packed with games over the next holiday weekend, it is the perfect time to get comfortable placing live bets on some of the league’s most exciting games.

“Off the board”: This means that bets on a particular event or outcome have been suspended or canceled altogether. It’s typically something that happens in due to major injury news or a last-minute roster change.

How to get the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code

Ready to get started? Click here to get your risk-free bet up to $1,500 from Caesars (See details here). Remember to use the code GAME15.

Available Caesars Sportsbooks include:

Caesars Sportsbook AZ
Caesars Sportsbook CO
Caesars Sportsbook IA
Caesars Sportsbook IN
Caesars Sportsbook LA  
Caesars Sportsbook MI
Caesars Sportsbook NJ
Caesars Sportsbook NY
Caesars Sportsbook TN
Caesars Sportsbook VA
Caesars Sportsbook WV

*Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Paid as a single bet credit. Maximum bet credit $1,500. Bet credit must be used within 14 days of receipt. Promotion ends on 8/1/22. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. 21 + only. Sports betting available only in AZ, CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, NV, NY, TN, VA, and WV. Sports betting is void in Georgia, Hawaii, Ohio and Utah and other states where prohibited. Gambling Problem? PA & NJ: Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or visit 800gambler.org. IN: Call 1-800-9WITHIT (1-800-994-8448). IA: Call 1-800-BETSOFF or visit 800gambler.org. WV: Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net. MI: Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Gambling Disorder Helpline at 1-800-270-7117. CO: Call or text 1-800-522-4700 or chat available at www.ncpgambling.org/chat. NV: When the Fun Stops call 1-800-522-4700 or visit NevadaCouncil.org. Washington, DC: For programs to prevent, treat, or monitor problem gambling call or text 1-800-522-4700. VA: Call, text, or chat our confidential and toll-free helpline at 1-888-532-3500. TN: Call or text the Tennessee REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789.NY: Call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369).

PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY: Scan here to talk with someone now about your gambling. Or call the free, confidential problem gambling HOPEline: 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or text HOPENY (467369). Standard text rates may apply. OASAS.ny.gov/problem-gambling