While betting on mma matches is popular, it’s important to approach each fight as a logical wager rather than a bet based on your heart or what you want to see happen. Mma bettors that make picks based on their emotions will likely end up losing in the long run. Mma bettors should also avoid placing bets on fighters they like or who they believe will win. Instead, bettors should research the fighters and their matchups and look for logical wagers that will lead to long-term profitability.
MMA Betting Props
In addition to traditional moneyline prices on who will win a fight, sportsbooks also offer a number of MMA-specific prop bets that provide additional opportunities to earn a profit. Unlike the more generalized wagers, these special bets come with specific odds that reflect how much a bookmaker believes a specific outcome will occur. They can include Over/Under totals on the expected number of rounds in a fight or methods of victory bets, which place odds on a specific way a fight will end (by KO/TKO, submission, or judge decision).
The method of victory props typically have higher payout odds than those on the winner. For example, a bettor might place a wager on Karl Williams to win by submission in Round 2 against Chase Sherman. The odds on this wager are +2800, meaning a $100 bet would win $2800.
Those familiar with betting on sports in general will be familiar with the odds on a fight, and can read the MMA betting odds with relative ease. The underdogs in a fight will have a plus sign on the odds, and the favorites will have a minus. Depending on the overall confidence level of a sportsbook, the more positive a number is, the less likely the sportsbook thinks a specific outcome will occur.
The best MMA bets are often made by following the training camps of each fighter leading up to a fight. The more in-depth knowledge a betor has of the specifics of a fighter’s preparation, the more accurate their bets will be. For example, a fighter may have an impressive record but may be missing in certain areas such as strength and conditioning or could have suffered from a concussion in training camp. These factors will impact their performance in a fight. Mma bettors can also make informed decisions by watching video from fighters’ previous fights and looking at their results. This can help them determine how a fighter will perform in the future based on their current skill set. If a fighter is a natural in their weight class, for example, they will be quicker to adapt throughout the fight. This can give them an edge over an opponent who is fighting up a weight class.