Every serious sports bettor knows that to get the best odds, you want to place your wagers as early as possible. The more bettors that place wagers will affect who is the favorite, and many sports books will adjust their lines after the overnight wagers are taken. This is a great way to get good prices and big returns when sports betting. But how early can you place a wager?
What are future bets?
Some players love Future Bets, which involve wagers placed weeks, months, sometimes even years in advance. These types of wagers are sometimes called Long Bets as well as Future Bets. These bets don’t usually offer point spreads. These are typically only wagering on whether or not an event will happen. This may be betting on whether or not your favorite team reaches the finals is a common wager, as well as who wins!
Not all finals are about the Superbowl or the World series, though. Some future bets are quite similar to prop bets- with wagers offered on celebrities, politics, and even stock markets. Future Bets are also common on shows like Survivor and American Idol- where people try to predict the winner months in advance.
Are future bets worthwhile?
Future Bets, like prop bets, generally aren’t a good way to have a long term income plan. These wagers generally have great payouts — because of the very small chance they will win. While placing a $500 wager now may bring you $400,000 in a few months, the likelihood is very slim. In fact, you’re far more likely to simply have lost your money.
This does not mean that you should not use future bets, however. These are a great way for bettors to relax, have fun, and maybe even win quite a bit of money. Future bets should be recreational, and enjoyable. Many bookmakers will add quite a high juice percentage to these type of wagers. Future wagers are very profitable for sports books How easy can it be to predict the winner of the Superbowl at the start of the season?
If you love long shots, or simply have a hunch, future bets are a great way to have a little fun. Betting your buddies can be a diverting pastime, but just one wager can bring in enough to pay down your mortgage, buy a new car, or even just pad your bank account.
Tips on placing future bets
While it can be tempting to place your wager on your favorite team the moment the odds are offered, it still may be wise to wait it out. Shopping the lines to get the best odds will allow you the opportunity to win the biggest cash prizes.
Another thing to keep in mind with future wagers is that they often have a much higher juice levels. With wagers that get as high as 3,000 to 1 it’s understandable why the higher juice levels are nearly a necessity. This payout can be the win of a lifetime for the average bettor, but can decimate the profits of a smaller sports book in one fell swoop. For this reason, sports books will typically add a much higher juice to these bets not to take advantage of players who win, but to protect themselves and their profits.
Just like any other wager, there is a number of factors that contribute to a winning wager. Good weather, the health and physical fitness of your team, and more depending on what type of wager you are placing. Whether you are planning ahead for a serious win or simply have a hunch, future bets can be a great source of fun and profit.