You can't get enough of sports betting as it gives you the thrill and adrenaline and lets you compare risk with reward. You also hate to lose. Did you know that a strategy to avoid losing exists? This strategy involves betting on both teams.
Is It Possible to Make Money on Both Sides?
If you're new to sports betting, you might be wondering, is it possible to bet on both teams? The answer is yes; however, it comes with a few circumstances.
Betting on both teams, also known as arbitrage and middling, can offer some potential profits for bettors, regardless of the outcome. This works by placing a bet per every outcome in different betting companies. However, it depends on certain conditions.
Arbitrage betting comes through when bookies have different opinions about the game's outcome. Arbitrage is the most talked-about strategy when betting on both teams, so we'll focus on arbitrage betting and compare it to middling, which is also famous for two side bets.
The Two Strategies to Win on Both Teams
Arbitrage betting and betting the middle, also known as middling, are similar strategies and work on similar concepts.
Betting the middle typically refers to looking for middling opportunities with the point spread, while arbing usually refers to two-way hedging bets on moneyline bets.
Arbitrage Betting
We've mentioned several different aspects of arbitrage betting.
To look for different ways, you can guarantee a profit by:
- Looking at various offers in other betting companies
- Comparing the odds at different bookies
- Looking for market inefficiencies where two sides of the bet offer plus-money juice
We've stated before that it can be a rare circumstance and take some time and effort.
So, is arbitrage worth the effort?
Bettors favour this strategy as it's close to zero risk and guarantees a reward. However, it's also referred to as "scalping" for the same reason, which is why many sportsbooks frown upon it.
Arbitrage betting exists as every bookie has its odds for a particular game to occur. To be successful in arbing, you need to do thorough research to find sportsbooks that have significant differences in odds for the same specific event. Arbing also requires the right conditions, which often don't come by, which offers odds being so far apart that you can bet no matter the outcome.
For example, let's say you're betting $100 on Liverpool at 2.00 against Arsenal on one betting site. If you win, then you'll make a $100 profit.
Simultaneously, another bookie lists Liverpool with 1.95 and Arsenal also with 1.95. So, can you make money from betting on both teams?
You can bet $105 on Arsenal to win $100 while also guaranteeing a break-even or a $5 win. Keep in mind that these arbitrage bets are usually available for bettors looking to bet on opening lines, and they also disappear quickly.
In arbitrage betting, winning one of them is guaranteed when you bet on both teams to win and go 1-1.
How much money you'll earn from arbitrage depends on:
- How big your starting bankroll is
- The time you invest in betting
- How well you manage your funds
Even though these profits are guaranteed, they are usually a tiny percentage of your starting bankroll. This is why you need to place a bigger bet for both outcomes or put in multiple bets a day to score a decent amount of profit.
Betting the Middle
You might have heard the term "middling" thrown around a lot if you've been sports betting for a long time.
Middling is a strategy when you place opposing bets on both sides of the match.
This makes a "middle" opportunity to cash bets and multiplies your profits. This works only if the outcome lands in the middle of the two sides of the bet.
A middling requires the under to be higher than the over, so one of your two bets will land a full middle.
For example, if the line opens at 3.00 and later moves to 2.25, there's an excellent chance of going for a middle. You'll need to take the under at 3.00, then take an over at 2.25.
Suppose the match ends up with anything over 58 points, congratulations! You've won the bet.
Is Betting on Both Teams Allowed in Every Betting Site?
Not all betting sites allow betting on both teams. People believe you might get banned from a betting site when you make money from arbitrage betting. But they don't ban you because you win the bet, but the reason is that you may cause them to lose money.
If you try arbing on a betting site that doesn't allow it, your account might get banned or suspended as it goes against their rules.
However, some bookies allow arbitrage betting and are proud of being less restrictive for their users' choices. But these sites usually offer thin lines, which makes it harder to make money off.
