MMA Betting: Prop Bets, Part II
By Loot, MMA Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
We've already discussed over-under betting and "how a fighter will win" prop bets in Part I. Let's delve deeper into the world of MMA prop betting, where you can target your bets more specifically. A lot of times, you not only have strong inkling that a fighter will win a fight, but you feel strongly about exactly how and when he will prevail. In that case, take advantage of some of the following MMA prop bets.
Picking the Round a Fighter Will Win
You will see these bets for many of the major MMA events. It isn't available for every MMA fight on the board, but when the betting interest is hot-and-heavy, expect to see these types of wagers. You simply pick the fighter and the round in which you think he will win. Naturally, these bets offer nice payouts if you win, especially in 5-round fights and even more so if you're doing it with an underdog.
The oddsmakers are highly sharp, so you're not going to fool them often. If you see a bout between two fighters who end most of their fights in the first round, you're not the only one who picked up on that, so expect the odds to reflect the abilities of the fighters. But sometimes, it's not very obvious. Maybe you just see something about the style match-up that makes you think it will end in a certain round. That type of insight can reap big rewards from this type of bet.
Downsides to Prop Betting
Losing bets is painful enough. But it adds an extra dimension of disappointment to the equation when you called the fight correctly, but screwed it up by undermining yourself trying to be too specific in hopes of the big payout. The suggestion here is to utilize prop bets in conjunction with straight bets to cover yourself. Maybe you're convinced a fighter will win in the first round. But if he wins in the second round, you lose 100% of your bet despite not being 100% wrong. You had it, but just missed the round by a tick. You should put yourself in a position to profit when your picks are relatively on target. Don't put yourself behind the 8-ball trying to play Carnac with MMA fights.
It's called "straddling," or hedging, where you cover more than one angle in an effort to give yourself a chance to profit or break even even if you lose a bet. Let's say you think Vitor Belfort will win in the first round when he fights Wanderlei Silva. This is how you execute a straddle.
Vitor Belfort (-300), Wanderlei Silva (+240)
Odds for Belfort winning in the first round: (+160)
Rather than just betting $50 on Belfort winning in the first round, you also put $150 on Vitor Belfort to win. If Belfort wins in the first round, you win both bets for a nice profit of $130. But if your first round pick was wrong, you can still break even if Belfort wins in the second or third rounds, or by decision. The idea here is to not put all your eggs in one basket.
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It might not seem like it, but the house edge on prop bets is typically staggering. Do not always expect good value when making prop bets other than over-under bets. It's one of the reasons Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for books, with all the people making prop bets. At root, it's difficult enough in the world of sports-betting to pick winners consistently. Trying to be too specific about your predictions in a wildly unpredictable sport can be quite an uphill battle. But in all forms of sports betting, there is no hard and fast rule. Some prop bets in fact offer good value. Be discriminating in your picks.
It's important for the prospective MMA bettor to choose the right book. Books vary on the amount of fights they post odds for, as well as the betting options for each fight. At some places, you'll only see a money-line for the big fights. Other books, however, post lines for virtually every fight of consequence, with varying betting options. And after you find which books are more MMA-geared, consider using more than one of them. With the odds shifting around constantly, the numbers can vary significantly enough to warrant you having multiple options on where to place your action. Did you know... that you could be wagering on MMA fights at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying inflated odds with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
