A growing sport, MMA betting is one of the most profitable ways to wager on fights. But, as with any form of gambling, you need to know a few things before putting down your money.
While MMA has become more popular than ever, it is still relatively new to the sports scene and oddsmakers haven’t fine-tuned the lines quite as much as they have for sports like football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. As a result, the odds are often skewed to the favorites in MMA betting, making it important to look for value plays in the underdogs.
The first step in finding value is familiarizing yourself with the fighters you’re wagering on and against. You should be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they typically perform in the ring. In addition, you should also be aware of how a fighter’s past performances might impact their current performance.
Another key factor in MMA betting is following the fighters’ camps and paying close attention to their sparring sessions. This is important because a fighter’s training camp can reveal many clues about their current performance, especially for underdogs that are taking a step up in class against an established opponent. If a fighter is coming off a devastating knockout loss, for example, they may be extra cautious in the ring and their fighting style might change dramatically as a result.
A big mistake MMA bettors often make is trying to compare the record of a fighter with that of their opponent, thinking that because one fighter lost to a fighter that their current foe has defeated then they should beat them. This kind of thinking can mislead bettors, taking their focus off studying styles and paying attention to fight film.
MMA bettors should also take the time to line shop and compare the odds offered by different sportsbooks. While this might seem like a tedious task, it can pay dividends in the long run. Taking the time to find the best prices on a bet will help you maximize your profits, as the odds will fluctuate based on the amount of public money that is placed on each side of the fight.
In addition to the traditional moneyline bets, MMA fans can also place bets on the Over/Under of rounds in a match. Oddsmakers will set the Over/Under based on the expected number of rounds to be completed in a fight and then adjust the price – also known as the juice or vig – to encourage action on either the Over or Under.
Lastly, MMA bettors should be sure to check in with their favorite sportsbooks daily to monitor the MMA sections. By doing this, they’ll be able to keep up with the MMA schedule and will be able to identify when a sportsbook is offering favorable lines on one particular fighter. This is because, as the majority of the public puts money on a certain fighter, the sportsbook will adjust the odds to balance out the action and attract more bettors on the underdog.