As much fun as watching sporting events on TV, it’s even more fun if you bet on your favorite team. Every time your team has a winning play, it becomes more exciting to know that you have money on the line in the result. You can bet on sports like basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, hockey, and soccer at sportsbooks, either physically, online, or in some cases even over the phone. However, betting on sporting events can be tricky as there are so many types of bets you can place. These are some of the common bets offered by sportsbooks.

* Straight bets. Also known as a simple, this is the simplest type of bet you can make. Simply bet on the team you think will win and the given odds will determine how much you will win.

* Spread of points. This is the second most popular sports betting bet. In a point spread bet, the oddsmaker awards a handicap to the favored team so that the two teams are equally attractive to bettors. This handicap is called the spread and is usually expressed as a negative number next to the favored team. In a point spread bet, you win if the favorite team’s winning score is greater than the spread. If it is an underdog, the bet is worth it if the team wins or loses by less than the difference.

* Purchase points. When you buy points in a points spread, you pay an additional amount to move the spread. So you get more points when you bet on the underdog or give away fewer points when you bet on the favourite, which can make the difference between a winning or losing bet.

*Parlay. When you bet parlay, you are betting on the outcome of several games. All the teams you have bet on must win for your bet to be worthwhile. If even one team loses, the entire bet is lost.

* Teasers. This is similar to a Parlay bet, except points are added to an underdog’s side or subtracted from a favourite’s. This increases the chances of a successful bet but also lowers the odds, resulting in a smaller payout if your bet wins.

* More below. You bet on whether the total number of points scored by the two teams is over or under the total set by the odds maker.