With the popularity of MMA on the rise, sportsbooks are offering a wide variety of wagering options once fighters step into the octagon. In addition to traditional bets on the moneyline, method of victory and round betting, many sites offer odds for individual punches landed or takedown defense. Conducting your own research on these and other combative statistics can help you increase your chances of making a winning bet.

Mma Betting

Mma fighting is a fast-paced and violent sport, so it’s no surprise that the payouts for bets on these fights are high. The best bettors understand the nuances of the sport and make informed decisions about how to bet. The most common bet type is the money line, which predicts which fighter will win a specific fight. Generally, the fighter with the higher odds is considered to be the favorite, while the one with lower odds is the underdog. These odds are based on a number of factors, including fighters’ styles and records, current form, injuries, and weight class differences.

As the UFC grows in popularity, more and more fighting organizations are staging events on a regular basis. Mma betting has transformed these events from passive spectacles to interactive and engaging experiences for fans. While the UFC still dominates the MMA world, other organizations like Bellator have emerged as viable alternatives. While these promotions feature fewer big-name fighters, they offer an excellent alternative for those who are interested in wagering on the action.

Unlike football, MMA betting doesn’t use point spreads to determine winners. Instead, a bet on a specific fight is assigned a particular number called the “odds.” The higher the odds, the more likely a bet on that fighter will win. Odds are typically presented in a moneyline format, with the favored fighter indicated by a minus sign (-) and the underdog indicated by a plus sign (+).

The odds for a MMA match can change as fight day draws closer and news breaks about both fighters. For example, a fighter close to missing the weigh-in may see their odds drop as they take extreme measures to lose weight in the days leading up to a fight.

In addition to researching fighters’ stats, savvy bettors pay attention to training camp news. For instance, a fighter who struggled to make the weight cut might look ragged and tired during sparring or have an off day at the weigh-in. The resulting loss of energy could be enough to hand the fight to an underdog.

While the basic MMA betting option is the money line, there are other types of MMA wagers available, such as parlays and over/unders. The latter involves placing bets on the total number of rounds a fight will last, with sportsbooks setting an over/under amount. You can place a bet on whether the fight will end by knockout, submission, or decision, which requires more nuanced knowledge of the fighters’ styles. Lastly, you can also bet on individual rounds by choosing which round you think a fight will end in.