Betting involves risk and the reward is not always as high as you would hope. The best approach is to develop an intuitive sense of betting value you can be confident in. This will take time and it is not foolproof but if you stick with this approach you can build up some impressive wins.

Bets are made on various aspects of a game and can be combined into a parlay(s). Each bet has different advantages and disadvantages. In general, the more legs you place in a parlay(s), the higher the potential payout.

You can also bet on the total number of points scored in a game. This is called an “over/under” bet. If you think the total points will exceed the bookmaker’s predicted amount, then bet on the over; otherwise, bet on the under.

Another popular bet is on a particular team or individual to win a game. If you bet on a team that is considered the favourite, it is said to be “chalky”. The more chalky a pick, the easier it is to win.

If a sportsbook receives large action on one side of a bet, it will usually shade the odds toward that team in order to attract more customers. This can create an opportunity to bet against the crowd and find +EV bets. This is especially true for undervalued teams and leagues such as the WNBA, where the handle is a fraction of that of the NFL.