For those not familiar with wagering on team sports, mma betting might seem like an intimidating proposition. However, if you have a good grasp of the sport and a solid understanding of odds, placing bets is straightforward. Once you find a sportsbook that accepts your preferred payment method, all you have to do is choose a competition and add the markets you want to bet on to your bet slip.
The most common MMA betting wagers are moneyline bets on who will win, over/under bets on how many rounds the fight will last and parlays. If you are familiar with sports betting in general, these types of wagers will come naturally to you. A basic MMA moneyline bet simply involves choosing which fighter you think will win, with positive and negative values indicating the likelihood of a given outcome. Favorites are expected to win and pay out less, while underdogs offer a higher payout but require more risk.
In addition to the moneyline, some sportsbooks also offer a variety of other MMA wagers. These include round betting and the always entertaining method-of-victory bets, which allow you to select a fighter and their chosen method of victory (i.e., inside the distance, submission, or knockout). Some sites will even allow you to place a method & round combination bet.
Odds for MMA betting are typically expressed in American, decimal and fractional forms, depending on the sportsbook’s locale. It’s important to understand how these odds are displayed and how they change over time. For instance, when a lot of money is placed on one fighter, the sportsbook will adjust the odds to discourage more bets on their opponent.
Another important aspect of MMA betting is managing your bankroll. It’s easy to get carried away and place bets you can’t afford, so it’s important to set limits for yourself. You should never bet more than you can afford to lose, and it’s often a good idea to stick to the same amount each time you make a bet.
In addition, you should be aware that MMA is a very dangerous sport and that it’s easy to get injured in the process of fighting. This is especially true if you’re betting on an underdog, who will be more likely to be hit with a punch or knee than a favorite.
Lastly, it’s worth taking the time to study each fighter’s training camp. Watching how a fighter reacts to an injury or how they perform during sparring can provide valuable insights into their fight-day performance. You can even use this information to handicap the outcomes of certain MMA betting markets. For example, watching a fighter’s training camp can tell you whether they are adapting well to the weight class or if they are struggling with their new style. This can give you a huge advantage when making MMA betting predictions.
