The backbone of sports betting
- A single bet is the simplest type of bet when it comes to sports betting, making it one of the most popular routes to go down for that very reason.
- With it simply involving one stake, selection or outcome, it is a fantastic and easy way for new bettors to get started.
What is a single bet?
- A single bet is a wager placed on one outcome happening in a sporting event.
- There are no complications with combined odds, accumulators, doubles etc, with the bet either winning or losing.
- The return is calculated based on the stake you are placing and the odds you are getting.
- A single bet is used in a plethora of sports, including football, horse racing, tennis, cricket etc.
- There are also various different markets a single bet can be placed on, ranging from a match winner, a player to get booked and many more.
Example of a single bet
- An example of a single bet for football using fractional odds is below.
– Bet £20 on Manchester United to beat Manchester City at 5/1
– If Manchester United win, the return is £120 (£100 profit + £20 stake)
– If they lose or draw the match, the bet loses and your £20 stake is gone - An example of a single bet for football using decimal odds is below.
– Bet £10 on Joelinton to be booked for Newcastle against Chelsea @ 5.00
– If Joelinton is booked, the return is £50 (£40 profit and £10 stake
– If Joelinton is not booked, the bet loses and your £10 is gone
Why use single bets?
- Single bets are the easiest to do and usually the quickest to put on, as you are just making one selection.
- They are easier to manage and track, as it is just one market.
- Given there is just one selection, single bets are generally lower risk than doing a double, treble, accumulator etc.
- Advanced or professional bettors will often rely on singles for long-term profit, placing bigger stakes on one outcome.
Pros and cons of single bets
Pros:
- A single bet is simple to understand and calculate, unlike accumulators and other types of multiples that can be more confusing.
- With just one selection, a single bet is generally lower risk as the chances of the bet being successful are higher than if you had multiple outcomes.
- With the amount of sports and markets available to bet on, there is plenty of choice for a single bet.
Cons:
- As just one outcome is being bet on, the potential return is usually lower than if you were putting together a multiple, accumulator etc.
- In order to increase the potential return, you have to increase your stake and that makes it more of a risk, especially for new bettors.
- In order to make bigger profits, you have to put on lots of individual selections and that means it could take time to build a profit.