Mma betting has seen explosive growth in recent years and highly popularized fights can attract as much attention as a major sports league event. This type of betting is similar to that on boxing, but MMA adds some unique variables into the mix that bettors need to take into consideration. Having technical insight into fighters’ fighting styles is an important factor for making smart bets on upcoming MMA matches.
Unlike in other sports where a team’s roster is set, professional MMA fighters are independent contractors and pay their own trainers and coaches. This makes it difficult for the UFC and other MMA promoters to keep a lid on betting insider information. However, the sport has its own betting lines that bettors can use to make informed bets on upcoming matches.
Moneyline bets are the simplest MMA betting markets and involve placing a wager on a specific outcome in a fight. There are several ways a fighter can win a fight including by knockout, points if the fight goes to decision and by submission. Depending on the fighters involved in the fight and their fighting style the oddsmakers will set an Over/Under total for how many rounds the match will last. For example, if the fighters have an Over/Under round total of 2.5 and a bet is placed on it winning you would receive a return of $100 for every stake of $100 you place on that outcome.
Over/Under round totals for MMA fights are often set at a lower number than their counterparts in other sports due to the limited number of rounds a fight will go. This is a result of the fighting styles of the fighters and the fact that fighters who struggle to make weight may have to cut their training time in order to meet a weight class, which can leave them drained for the fight.
Besides over/under round totals, MMA betting offers other prop bets that allow players to wager on something specific that will occur during a fight. These are usually more difficult bets to win but they can offer higher payouts. These bets range from how many punches a fighter will throw to what color shirt a fighter will wear when walking into the ring.
Adding to the variety of MMA betting markets are handicap bets, which give you a margin of error when placing your wager. These bets are typically offered on the underdog of a particular match and have a + sign for the underdog fighter and a – sign for the favorite. The plus sign signifies how much the underdog needs to lose in order for your bet to win, and the negative sign indicates the amount by which a fighter must win in order for your bet to win. Taking advantage of this feature in your MMA betting can be a lucrative way to increase your bankroll. This is especially true when betting on a parlay bet, which requires all outcomes to be correct in order for the bet to win.
