What is a prop bet in sports betting? This guide explains what prop betting is, how it works and how you can place a prop bet.
Prop betting is a fun way to get involved in the action of your favourite sports, with a variety of markets across different games. That said, if you’re new to betting, you may be asking ‘What is a prop bet?’.
In our guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about prop betting, as well as how you can place one next time you’re watching your favourite team.
What is a prop bet?
A proposition bet, more commonly known as a prop bet, is a wager made on the occurrence of a specific event within a game. Prop bets are not tied to the final score or final outcome, but instead allow you to bet on more specific aspects of sport. Most markets offered on a sportsbook are prop bets – basically, any market other than win/draw/win, moneyline, point spread, and goal/point totals.
What is a player prop bet
Player props are one of the most popular forms of prop betting. Player prop markets allow you to bet on the performance of certain players within a game. So, you could bet on a basketball player scoring a certain number of points, a baseball player hitting a home run, or a hockey player scoring a goal.
The most common example of this is by betting on a player’s overall performance. For example, in a basketball game, you might choose a player who you think is going to perform well and place a prop bet that they’ll score more than 20.5 points.
How does prop betting work?
Prop bets are very simple to understand. When making a prop bet, you are usually presented with two different options – yes or no, Team A or Team B, over or under, etc – depending on the bet. Simply select the option you want to back to place your prop bet.
An example of a prop bet
The most common example of prop betting is player props. Player prop betting allows you to bet on the performance of particular players in a game. For example, if you’re betting on basketball, you can bet on the number of points a player is going to score.
Say you are betting on Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics, and you think LeBron James is going to score a lot of points. The sportsbook will usually set a value, for example 20.5 points, and will give you the option to back over or under that mark. Simply select the over option to back James to score more than 20 points in the game.
How to read prop bets
At Betway, we use fractional odds for our bets. Each fraction shows how much of your original stake you could earn back with a correctly predicted outcome. For example, if you place a winning £10 bet on a player to score 20+ points, at odds of 5/1, you’ll earn five times your waging amount, plus your original stake back.
Similarly, if you place a £10 bet on a player who has a 2/5 chance of scoring 20+, you would earn 2/5 of £10 (£4) on top of your original stake.
What are the advantages of prop betting?
When placing a prop bet, a much wider range of markets is available to choose from, meaning you’ll be able to play our own way. Prop betting allows you to earn rewards for your knowledge of a specific team or player’s performance, opening up more opportunities to show off your knowledge of your favourite sports.
Additionally, prop bets aren’t affected by the final outcome of a game. This means that if a match-up seems particularly weighted in one side’s favour, the odds of your prop bet won’t be as majorly affected as the match winner. Even if your team is dominating the competition, a prop bet on an independent player outcome can keep you invested.
What’s more, if one team is particularly favoured in the match winner bet, offering unattractive ‘final result’ odds, then prop betting on something other than the score could earn you a considerably higher payout in comparison.
Prop bets are also a fantastic way to get new bettors involved, as they rely more on knowledge of a specific team or player than the match-up of the game. This makes them a great entry point for bettors who are new to a specific sport, or to betting in general.
Do prop bets include overtime?
Most prop bets placed before a game will include overtime, but not all. Be sure to check the terms of the market before placing a bet if you are uncertain. If your prop bet does not include overtime, then the terms of your bet will need to be reached in the originally allotted time, and any extra won’t count.
How to place a prop bet
If you’re looking for where to place prop bets, look no further! We offer competitive odds on the biggest competitions across your favourite sports. Simply find the betting market you’re looking for and enter your stake. Our handy betslip will show you your potential winnings. Then, click ‘Place bet’ and stay tuned for the results of your chosen game.
And if you’re ever confused by the language you come across when placing a bet, you can read our handy glossary of betting terms to help you better understand the terms of your bet.
Now that you’re familiar with how to place a prop bet, it’s time to join the action! For instance, check out our NBA betting odds to place prop bets on your favourite players. You can also visit our Betway Insider blog for all the latest picks and tips to help you maximise your betting potential. Here, learn about some of the craziest casino prop bets of all time, or read our guide to puck line betting for tips on how to bet on hockey.
