Sports betting can be a rollercoaster of ups and downs, making it tough to balance risk and reward. But there is a way to bet that can help you win both sides, reducing risk and increasing the chance of profit. This is the middle bet. Middle betting is a strategy used by experienced bettors, but it’s not that complicated throughout this article. We will help you understand what a middle bet is and how to use it to your advantage.
What is “middle betting”?
The middle refers to a betting strategy that takes advantage of the changing odds. It involves placing two opposing bets on the same game, hoping to win both. This strategy is called “middling.” To execute the middle, you need to place bets on two different odds (or totals) in a way that the final score falls between them. When this happens, both bets win.
There are four different types of middling scenarios:
- The point spread widens (e.g., +3/-3 to +9/-9).
- The point spread narrows (e.g., +10,-10 to +2, -2).
- The total score increases (e.g., 45 to 50).
- The total score decreases (e.g., 50 to 42).
To understand middling, you need to know how the spreads and totals betting work.
Spread betting
A spread bet is a type of bet where you can bet on the score difference between the two teams or the players. For example, if a basketball match ends in 95-88, the spread point is 7. You can bet on any team to win or lose by a specific number of points. Let us say you bet on the Los Angeles Lakers to win by 8 points or more ( 8-point spread) against the Chicago Bulls. If the Lakers win by 9 points or more, you win the bet. If you bet on the bulls (+8 point spread), they need to win or lose by 7 points or less for you to win. Think of the spread like a handicap. If the Lakers win 100-92 and you add their 8-point handicap, the score becomes 100-100, and the Bulls (+8) would win.
Total betting
Total betting is a type of bet where you predict the total score of both teams combined. For example, if a basketball game ends in 85-78, the total score is 163. This is also called an over/under bet because you are guessing if the total score will be higher (over) or lower (under) than the number. For instance, if you place a bet on “under 170” and the total score ends up being 172, you lose the bet. Similarly, if you bet on “over 160” and the score is 159, you lose again. However, if the score is 161, you win the bet.
How do you find the middle, and how does it work?
There are two ways to find the middle: point spread middling and totals middling. Let us see an example of each.
Point spread middling
Let us say that the Kansas City Chiefs are playing against the Los Angeles Chargers. On Tuesday, the Chiefs are favored by 7 points, so you bet on them with a -7 spread. By Thursday, the Chiefs are favored by 9 points, so you bet on the Chargers with a 9+ spread. This creates a “middle” of 2 points.
- If the chief wins by 8 points (27-19), both bets win.
- If the Chiefs win by 4 points (24-20), the first bet wins but the second bet loses.
- If the Chargers win by 10 points (17-27), both bets lose.
- If the Chiefs win by 10 points (30-20), the first bet wins, but the second bet loses.
Total middling
The over/under market for a game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings opens with a total of 55.5 points, and you see the value in the under 61.5 market, creating a “middle” of 6 points.
- If the total score is 56 points (28-28), both bets win.
- If the total score is 65 points (35-30), the first bet wins, but the second bet loses.
- If the total score is 48 points (24-24), both bets lose.
- If the total score is 59 points (30-29), the first bet wins, but the second bet loses.
Middle betting odds
When it comes to middle betting, the odds are an important factor when choosing to place a bet because it directly impacts your profits. Let us consider a Sunday night football game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. The initial bet on Tuesday is Patriots -5 points at -110 odds, betting $100 to win $190. The second bet that was placed on Thursday is the Chiefs +7 points at +120 odds, betting $100 to win $220.
The possible outcomes for this are:
- Only bet 1 wins, and you lose $10 (-$100 + $190 – $100).
- Only bet 2 wins; you win $20 ($220 – $100 – $100).
- Both bets win (middle): you win $310 ($190+$220-$200).
How to place a middle bet (step-by-step instructions)
Step 1: First, you must log in to your Sportsbook account to place the bet; if you already don’t have an account, you must create one. After opening the sportsbook website, look to the top right-hand side of the site for the join option Click on it.
Step 2: fill up your personal information such as name, email ID, date of birth, and the country you reside in, etc for creating the account.
Step 3: After successfully creating the account, you should now deposit the funds into your account which is required for betting. Go to the cashier section where you can make the payment. There are various payment options, like credit, debit, crypto, etc. There are also first deposit bonuses and welcome bonuses provided by the sportsbook.
Step 4: Now it is time to choose a match to bet on, look at various spreads and totals of games, and place a bet on the one that seems attractive.
Step 5: Look for the middling opportunity in the spread or total that you placed the bet earlier. Look for where to place your second bet. You can also use a middling betting calculator, which makes the process of finding what to middle bet easier.
Conclusion
Through this article, you now know what a middle bet is and how to use it as a strategy, along with how to place the middle bet and middle bet odds. If used strategically, the middle bet could eliminate you from losing money and increase the reward.
Read More: How to Bet on NASCAR?
