Sports betting is no longer limited to futures and pregame betting (moneyline, point spreads, etc.). Live betting, also referred to as in-game betting, is now an option at online sportsbooks across the country. Live sports betting is just what it sounds like— a chance to bet on games that are in progress.
Live betting is legal in Arizona, and it is growing in popularity. Some states, however, have restrictions on live betting when it comes to college sports. Arizona’s only betting restriction is no prop bets on college sports.
What Is Live Sports Betting
Live betting, or in-game betting, involves betting on sporting events while they are in progress. Once the game begins and you place a bet, you are engaged in in-game live betting. So—how does it work? Let’s look at an example.
The New England Patriots were favored to win Super Bowl LI by three and had a moneyline of -140. If you placed a bet on the Patriots to win via the moneyline before the game started, you would have needed to bet $140 to win $100. But late in the game, when the Falcons held a 28-9 lead, the in-game moneyline on the Patriots was +1600.
At that point, a $100 bet on the Patriots would have won $1600. So, live betting can be a great chance to find bets with significant value.
Live bets can be as simple as whether the next batter for a team will get a hit, the outcome of the next at-bat (choices could include to hit a single, strikeout, walk, hit a home run, etc.), or whether one golfer will do better on a specific hole than another golfer.
Live, in-game betting is one of the fastest-growing segments of the online sports betting industry. Many sportsbooks will allow you to place in-game bets through their mobile app; some will even stream certain events through the app so you can see if your bet is a winner in real-time.
The Best Live Betting Sites In Arizona
Many of the top sportsbooks in the country operate in Arizona. The following are recommended for live betting online:
Get $300
Get $100
Live Betting Odds
The types of bets you can make when live betting are just like what you would do pregame, i.e., moneyline, point spread, totals (over/under), prop bets (team and player), etc. Like pregame lines, oddsmakers will set the odds for live betting. But unlike pregame bets, live betting lines are ever-changing in reaction to what is going on during the game.
That means you could place a bet on a line one moment and then see a completely different line in the next minute. For example, the odds on Arizona Cardinals‘ Kyler Murray being the next player to score will go from being short to long after he throws an interception.
However, while you can bet on a wide range of things related to a game, there are some restrictions, i.e., injury-related, off-field stuff like the coin flip. Some states have restrictions related to college sports or in-state college teams.
Tips For A Successful Live Betting Strategy
Before you get into live betting on sports, you need to do your homework first. Scout some of the sportsbooks offered in your state to see what sports are offered, which games they cover, available markets, and— of course – the lines.
You also want to make sure you know just how responsive and timely the apps are. Oh— and watch the game while you bet on it. It is pretty challenging to make sound, informed decisions live betting on sports if you are not watching the game.
NFL Live Betting
One strategy for live betting on football would be to target favorites that struggle out of the gate and fall behind early. But you will also need to place the bet relatively early in the game before they mount a comeback. Wait too long, and you risk the team making its comeback and the NFL live odds getting shorter again.
Also, do your homework and know what the tendencies are for each team. If one team prefers to run the ball in the red zone, consider betting on the primary running back to score the next touchdown.
NBA Live Betting
As fast-paced as an NBA game is, it can be challenging to get ahead of the action. But if you study the teams and know the players’ tendencies, you can spot things like when a team is about to go on a run or when a player is about to get hot.
Recognize when these tendencies are coming, and you can see a deficit slipping away before it does and take advantage of the odds before they start to move. For example, if the Suns are down by ten and Devin Booker starts heating up from behind the arc, you can take advantage of a favorable point spread and NB live odds before they disappear.
MLB Live Betting
If you want to get into MLB live betting, you need to do your homework ahead of game day. Scout out some of the books offered in your state and see who has the best MLB odds for pregame betting. Chances are good that those books will have better MLB live odds as well.
FAQs – Live Sports Betting
Yes, live sports betting online is legal in Arizona and other states where sports betting is legal. Sportsbooks will often carry live betting odds on the major North American sports, select international events, and sometimes niche sports like darts or snooker.
Yes, all major sportsbooks (i.e., DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, WynnBet, etc.) will carry live betting lines, but which sports and the depth of betting markets will vary.
Yes, prop bets are an option in live betting. The depth of those markets will vary from one sportsbook to the next. However, prop bets are not allowed on college sports in Arizona.
Yes, DraftKings offers live, in-game betting. You can access the live betting section by touching on the ‘Live’ In-game betting icon at the bottom left-hand corner of the home page (on the app). Sports with betting options offered include football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and golf.
Yes, FanDuel offers live, in-game betting on the major North American sports and some international leagues. The app will also allow you to live-stream select games while you bet.
The best sportsbook for live betting lines is FanDuel. However, if you go with DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, or BetRivers, you will be happy with your choice.
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