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Betting on sports isn’t limited just to people who want to make a quick buck or are glued to the couch watching sports every night. Depending on the laws of the state you live in, you can bet on futures bets on team and individual events. On Bet US, there are a number of NFL lines available for the Super Bowl, division winners and award winners which have been changing throughout the season.
But placing a futures wager often offers a high payout, but bettors are also subject to the risk of having to wait several months to see bets pay off. While people wait to see if their prediction of what will come in the future will pay off, they will also have other opportunities opened up to them based on how the season goes.
Hedging
Let’s say you place a bet on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup +1100 before the season. That means your bet would pay 11 dollars for every dollar you wager if the Oilers hoist the trophy. If the Oilers make the Stanley Cup finals, having a futures bet already wagered provides a chance to hedge.
Hedging a bet means you would place a bet on the opposing team to win to make sure no matter what the result of the series is, the bettor would still profit. Hedging can be expensive depending on what your original wager was. However, if you can afford it, a hedge can help guarantee a profit or help reduce a loss.
Staying Engaged
If you are a fan of a team that is likely to struggle in the upcoming season, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, you may be searching for a way to keep an interest in your team. Instead of betting against them to lose every night, which may be expensive depending on the daily odds, you can bet on the over/under on how many games they will win.
These bets can be nice, because if a team has mathematically clinched your number, sportsbooks will pay them out before the season ends.
Players changes, teams change, the odds change
Throughout the season, the value of a team winning a division, conference or league championship can fluctuate. That means avid bettors who watch the numbers may have opportunities to jump on good numbers for teams that are going through rough spells. Since futures have bigger payouts, finding the right spot to bet a team can pay big.
Individual Awards
Futures bets also provide a chance for bettors to see who can win the MVP, Rookie of the Year and other awards. Much like with the odds for teams, the odds for individual awards change from week-to-week depending on people’s performances.
Use Your Free Bets
Many sportsbooks give out free bets. While all house rules are different, many books will allow you to use free bets on futures. Since most sportsbooks won’t allow bettors to keep the stake for free bets, futures provide a lot more value than just betting on a spread that pays -110.
If you pile up a bunch of free bets and use them on futures, it is possible to accumulate a number of high value tickets in the same league that will pay out several times your stake and provide value.
Look for the best number
If you like a team to win a championship, but think the odds don’t provide enough value, just give it time. With how often the odds change throughout a year, savvy bettors would benefit by trying to be proactive when they see a number fall into their price range.
