Volleyball is having a bit of a moment. Participation in the sport is at an all-time high, and viewership is growing steadily. This, probably because it is easier than ever to find volleyball games on television. Through streaming services, fans don’t need to work to find competition.
With great access comes great opportunities. If you like to participate in crypto sports betting, however, you’ll need to first understand volleyball betting odds.
What is a betting line?
Betting lines explain what wagers are available. They will also tell you your odds on that wager. Generally, there will be a wide range of data points to consider. In a volleyball matchup, you could see something like this:
Penn State -2.5 (-150) Stanford +2.5 (+130)
In our example, Penn State is favored to win. The -/+ 2.5 reflects the set spread. Penn State needs to win by 2.5 or more sets to cover the spread.
Volleyball matches consist of multiple sets. Basically games within the game. In a three-set match, there will usually be two 25-point rounds—in which a team must hit 25 while winning by two points, and one set in which they must hit 15 points—again while winning by two.
You may encounter betting lines that allow you to wager on the points as well. In this case, you’ll be betting on the total number of points across all of the sets.
In spread betting, your team can win while still causing you to lose. If you take Team A on a 7.5-point spread, and they only win by 5, you lose.
The (-150) (+130) figures are called the “money line.” They reference what you would need to wager to win $100. So, to recuperate your initial bet and come out $100 on a Penn State win you would need to wager $150.
How do you calculate your bets?
When you bet on volleyball, you are ultimately doing guesswork. No one, regardless of their access to or ability to interpret data, has ever turned sports betting into a science.
Your first step in calculating your volleyball bet should be to determine how much money you are ok with losing. That’s cynical, maybe, but it’s an important guideline for any betting choice. Never play with money you don’t have to lose.
From there, you can think more specifically about your desired outcome. To win, of course, but in what way? You can enhance your winnings by trying to cover the set spread—accurately predicting by how much one team will win over the other.
This is obviously harder to do than to simply say “I think this team will win.” However, making small wagers on various betting lines can also isolate you from risk a bit—provided you are making sensible moves.
Let’s say you have decided that you will bet $100 on a volleyball match. You can put all of it on a single, simple betting line. “This team will win!” your wager boldly declares. But if they don’t? You lose every penny.
On the other hand, you also have the option to spread your $100 out across multiple betting lines. “This team will win BY THIS MUCH. Also, this, this, and this will happen.”
The various “thesis,” of course, represent specific events that could happen within the match. You might not hit on every betting line, but maybe/probably you’ll get some right. It’s through this type of diversification that you can come out ahead even if your team loses.
Naturally, you need to be thoughtful about how you bet. Overdriving your bets can result in wagers that neutralize one another.
Develop a Process
One of the pleasures of sports betting is that it gives you the opportunity to focus intently on the game you care about, often in ways that are esoteric. There are sporting stats for everything now. And while professional volleyball might not have as many data points available as the NFL (yet) there is still plenty of information out there for you to get lost in.
You know you’re talking to someone who bets on sports when they start getting really specific about player performance percentages.
Remember that betting on sports is a hobby. Engage with it as such. Use your wagers as an opportunity to study the game at a higher level and take heightened satisfaction in every match that you watch.
No, studying up doesn’t make your bet any more certain but it does allow you to make better informed decisions. More to the point, it’s just fun.
By using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies to make your bets, you cut out the sluggish middleman that is centralized banking and treat yourself to a more private experience in the bargain.
