UFC Betting Guide to Try Out this 2020
Mixed martial arts originated in the Olympic games back in 648 BC. In its basic form, it was wrestling that was coupled with striking your opponent. In recent years, however, the sport has grown steadily, thanks to different fighters all around the world and the variety of martial arts they introduced in the ring. The Gracie family, for example, brought the art of JiuJitsu back in the early 90s.
Since then, the sport has grown in both audience and fans worldwide. It all began in UFC 1 back in 1993, which had an 86k pay per view to its belt, to the astounding fight of McGregor vs. Khabib in UFC 229, which sold 2.4M pay per view.
In terms of betting, UFC falls into the small markets category, which creates opportunities for both veteran and amateur gamblers to try their luck. However, bookies for these events aren’t very experienced, and bettors would often take advantage of weaker odds to win more. It is essential to understand the basics and intricacies of sports betting on building your chances of success, just like any other game.
Understanding the Rules of the Cage
Before you start betting, you must understand the rules of the sport first. Two fighters would enter the cage for the game to begin, and only one will come out victorious unless there is a draw. Outside the cage, three judges will be scoring the fight based on a ten-point system. The winner will be awarded the full 10 points while the other will be scored lesser, based on how they performed.
For example, 10-9 means both fighters did well, the match was pretty close, and the winning fighter won within a close margin. 10-8 would be the winning fighter overwhelming the other opponent with a mixture of techniques while 10-7 means that the winning fighter completely overwhelmed the losing one.
Knowing the Fighters
If you are already a fan of the UFC before you decided to bet on it, you surely know some of the fighters after watching them. However, now that your money is on the line, it is time to do some more research.
Being familiar with a fighter is not enough. You need to know the fighter’s skill set and weaknesses, not just of one fighter, but both of them. Predict their chemistry inside the cage and hypothesize on how the match will turn out to be. Of course, if you look it up on the internet, many websites talk about the fighters and their statistics. Here are some of them:
- ESPN Go MMA
- Fightmatrix
- Sherdog
How UFC Betting Lines Work
Betting on the UFC can be complicated for beginners. For starters, betting is broken down into various parts. The first bet you should know about is the moneyline, which is the most straightforward and the simplest bet in the game. You only have to choose which fighter might emerge victoriously. If you are right, you win.
The next one is called Over/Under Round Bets. This is where you will be figuring out how many rounds the match will take. For example, if you think the fight will last for about two rounds, find a sportsbook with an under 2.5 betting line that you can wager on. If your guess bet is spot on, you win.
The next betting line is the method of victory. This is also a pretty straightforward betting line because all you have to do is to bet on how the fight will end.
However, even if you won on your bets, it will not matter if you dealt with a risky sportsbook that won’t give out your winnings. Remember, you have never won a bet until it is paid. That said, pick out a sportsbook with a good reputation with a few years of service under its belt to make sure you always get your winnings.
If you are looking for an excellent online sports betting site, you can try betting on FanDuel at www.fanduel.com.
Live Betting Strategy
A live MMA betting event is intense and nerve-wracking. The odds can turn in a split second, and suddenly, you are either winning or losing. That said, before the match starts, make sure that you will be able to place your bets before the odds in the fight are updated.
Remember that occasionally, sportsbooks freezes the betting pool in some stages of the fight because of big bets in the last second. It is always good to research each of the fighters and predict how the fight will turn out so you won’t overreact and place the wrong bets during the live event.
Takeaway
Betting on the UFC is exciting and nerve-wracking since the odds can turn in a split second with just a single move from a fighter. This is why it is always essential to research beforehand and read some commentary before the fight to have an idea which fighter you should bet on.
