Cycling is a very quick sport, even though some races tend to appear very long, and in truth, they are. Grand Tours can last for days, depending on how many stages they have. Yet, one can watch the races one day or another, because a Tour is not won in a single day.
But what if you wanted to bet on cycling? Would you bet on somebody winning the entire tour? How does betting on cycling work? Since there are multiple forms of competitive cycling, here is a short guide on how to bet on cycling.
The Odds – It Depends on the Country
Whichever sport you want to bet on, you should know that there are three main ways of displaying odds: moneyline odds, fractional odds, as well as decimal odds. The first are used in the United States, the second in the UK and the third in the rest of Europe.
Moneyline odds determine how much you need to bet to win a hundred dollars and a competitor’s strength is displayed with – or +. Numbers are added, which determine their handicap.
Fractional odds determine how much you would win if you were to bet any amount of money. You multiply your bet with the number, for example in a 5/1 bet you would win five times of your bet. The lower the fraction, the more favorite a competitor is.
Decimal odds are the simplest, you just multiply the odds with your bet, revealing your possible win. Lower odds represent the favorite.
The Bets – Find Your Cycling Bet
Cycling is a sport with many disciplines, from road cycling to mountain biking to keirin racing. Following are some bets that can work on any race, and if they do not, it will be specified clearly.
The race winner is a pretty simple bet. You bet on who will take the entire race home. Whether mountain biking or grand tours, somebody has to win. This bet is simple and straightforward, though if it is a grand tour, things may become more exciting for you if you made the bet early in the tour.
The team race winner bet is a very similar bet to the one above, yet you bet on the team to win, and not an individual. What is the difference? Well, teams race in grand tours, so the logical bet is to bet on a team rather than on an individual, unless you want to bet on a certain stage of a race.
The stage leader is a bet only present in the grand tours. You bet on the racer who is going to get the best results in a specific stage. This is great if you know your teams and racers, for you can bet on a cyclist you know is good at uphill riding, rather than a flat specialist.
The best young cyclist is another grant tour special, where you bet on a cyclist who will win the best young cyclist award. This is great as one would need to do research on newcomers and not just the old guard.
Betting on cycling is similar to betting on other sports, where one needs to learn the rules of the sport, how betting odds work and what bet to make. Research should be done and one should bet responsibly.