As the sport of MMA grows in popularity, so does the betting market. With so many regulated sportsbooks and the growth of mobile betting, bettors now have more options than ever before. It’s important to know the nuances of mma betting before making your wagers, though, so you can make informed choices and maximize your chances of winning.
The most common MMA betting options are moneyline bets on which fighter will win a particular fight, over/under bets on the number of rounds a fight will last, and method of victory bets (bet on which fighter wins by KO/TKO, submission, or judge decision). If you’re familiar with placing wagers on other types of sports events, you’ll find that MMA bets are relatively simple to understand.
MMMA is still relatively new to the sports scene compared to other popular sporting events, so oddsmakers don’t have as much experience setting lines for the fights. This can sometimes work to your advantage, as the betting public tends to overbet on popular favorites and big-name fighters. As a result, the oddsmakers will often move the line to balance action. This is a good time to take advantage of favorable line moves, as you can get the best odds on the underdog fighters.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the fight odds will continue to shift right up until the actual fight, especially if there’s any fighter news that could affect the fight outcome. MMMA betting fans should always be on the lookout for updated odds, and it’s a good idea to “line shop” to ensure they’re getting the best price on their bets.
Lastly, MMA fighting styles can dramatically change the way oddsmakers set their over/under totals for a specific fight. A fighter coming off a KO loss, for example, may become more cautious and lose his edge inside the octagon. This can lead to a significant change in the way that he approaches his opponents and may negatively impact his chances of winning the fight.
MMMA bettors should also pay close attention to a fighter’s training camp before placing their bets. Watching a fighter’s sparring sessions can reveal a lot about their ability to maintain their weight and stamina throughout a fight. Keeping track of how a fighter has performed in previous fights and their history of cutting can help them to predict whether they will be able to successfully cut down to the weight class needed for their next fight.
MMMA betting offers a variety of prop bets, which are unique to the sport and offer higher payouts than standard bets. Some of these props can be quite complicated, but others are easy to understand and are available at a variety of bookmakers. MMMA betting sites will typically display their odds in American Odds, Fractional Odds or Decimal Odds. The choice of format will be a personal preference, but all of the top rated online bookmakers allow players to change their preferred odds expression.