Sports Betting Markets Explained: 7 Best Markets for Beginners

Sports betting markets explained simply means understanding the different outcomes available to bet on within a sporting event. Instead of only choosing which team will win, bettors may be offered markets for goals, points, handicaps, both teams to score, qualification, tournament winners and many other outcomes.

A single football match can contain hundreds of markets, while rugby, cricket and tennis use many of the same ideas with different statistics. This guide focuses on seven markets that give beginners a practical foundation without starting with the most complicated player props or live-betting options.

What Is a Sports Betting Market?

A betting market is the specific question being priced by a bookmaker. The sporting event itself is not the market.

For one football match, separate markets might ask:

• Who will win after normal time?
• Will both teams score?
• Will the match contain more than 2.5 goals?
• Will a team cover a handicap?
• Will a particular player score?
• Which team will qualify for the next round?

Each market has its own outcomes, odds and settlement rules. Read our How to Read Sports Betting Odds guide for decimal-odds calculations, or use the Sports Betting Terms Glossary when a word on the bet slip is unfamiliar.

Market, Selection and Bet

11X2 or Match Result Betting

Beginner level: easy

The 1X2 market is the standard three-way football match-result market:

In football, the ordinary 1X2 market usually settles after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shoot-outs are normally excluded unless the market says otherwise.

2Double Chance

Beginner level: easy

Double chance combines two of the three 1X2 results. Covering two outcomes reduces the chance of losing compared with choosing only one match result, but the odds are normally lower.

Double chance can suit a bettor who expects one team not to lose but is not confident enough to back that team in the straight 1X2 market.

3Draw No Bet

Beginner level: easy

Draw no bet removes the draw as a losing result for the selected team:

• The selected team wins: the bet wins.
• The match is drawn: the stake is normally returned.
• The selected team loses: the bet loses.

Draw no bet is broadly equivalent to an Asian handicap of 0. Its odds are usually higher than double chance but lower than a straight match-result price on the same team.

4Over/Under Betting

Beginner level: easy

Over/under markets, also called totals, ask whether a combined statistic will finish above or below a stated line.

The statistic changes by sport:

• Football: goals, corners or cards
• Rugby: total points or tries
• Cricket: total runs, wickets or player runs
• Tennis: total games, sets or aces
• Basketball: total points or player statistics

Why Do Bookmakers Use Half-Number Lines?

A half line such as 2.5 cannot finish exactly on the quoted number, so the result is always above or below it. Whole lines such as 2.0 can create a push or refund when the total lands exactly on the line, depending on the market rules.

5Both Teams to Score

Beginner level: easy

Both teams to score, commonly shortened to BTTS, is a football market with two standard selections:

The final match winner does not matter. A 1–1 draw, 2–1 home win and 1–3 away win all satisfy BTTS Yes.

6Handicap Betting

Beginner level: moderate

Handicap betting applies a virtual advantage or disadvantage for settlement. It can create more balanced prices when one team or player is a strong favourite.

European Handicap vs Asian Handicap

A three-way or European handicap can still include a handicap draw. Asian handicap markets use lines that can remove the draw or split a stake between two adjacent lines.

Beginners should start with simple whole or half lines and understand exactly how the adjusted score is calculated before using quarter handicaps.

See the handicap definitions in our Sports Betting Glossary for additional examples.

7Outright Betting

Beginner level: moderate

Outright markets, also called futures, are settled over a tournament, league, season or longer competition rather than one match.

Examples include:

• World Cup winner
• League champion
• Top goalscorer
• Tournament group winner
• Team to be relegated
• Tennis tournament winner
• Cricket series winner

Outright bets can remain unsettled for weeks or months. The stake is tied up during that period, and injuries, transfers, form and tournament changes can affect the selection after the bet is placed.

Player Props, Specials and Live Betting

These markets are common but are not necessarily the best starting point for a new bettor.

Player Props and Specials

Player proposition markets focus on an individual statistic rather than the overall match result. Examples include:

• Football shots on target, goals, assists, tackles or cards
• Rugby tries or player points
• Cricket runs, wickets, boundaries or sixes
• Tennis aces, double faults or games won
• Basketball points, rebounds or assists

These markets require accurate team news, confirmed line-ups, expected playing time and knowledge of the bookmaker’s statistical data provider.

Live or In-Play Betting

Live betting allows a wager after the event has started. Prices change in response to time, score, red cards, wickets, injuries and other events.

Live markets can create rushed decisions. Odds may change between selecting and confirming a bet, and some markets are temporarily suspended during important moments.

Which Sports Betting Markets Are Best for Beginners?

A sensible learning order is:

1. Start with 1X2 and understand the settlement period.
2. Compare double chance and draw no bet on the same match.
3. Learn one basic total such as over/under 2.5 goals.
4. Add BTTS once the scoring condition is clear.
5. Move to simple half handicaps before quarter lines.
6. Use outright markets only with a separate long-term budget.
7. Leave complex player props and live accumulators until the rules are familiar.

Checklist Before Placing a Market Bet

• Confirm the sport and event. Similar team names and competitions can appear together.
• Read the exact market name. Match result, to qualify and draw no bet settle differently.
• Check the settlement period. Determine whether extra time, penalties, sets or innings count.
• Check the line. Over 2.0, 2.25 and 2.5 do not settle in the same way.
• Review the odds. The potential payout changes if the price moves before confirmation.
• Check the stake and return. Read the bet slip before accepting.
• Use a licensed bookmaker. Verify the operator through an official South African licensing source.
• Keep the stake controlled. A familiar market is not a guaranteed outcome.

Our Sports Betting Bankroll Management guide explains session budgets, unit sizing and loss limits. You can also compare operators on our Best Sports Betting Sites in South Africa page.