What is the Difference Between Moneyline and 3-Way Betting in US Sports?

Fans of sports that are not classed as US Sports will see a difference between them and regular sports when they watch them. The difference is that these sports play an additional overtime period to determine a winner, they do not like games to end in a draw in the US.

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For example, while Premier League football betting markets happily end in a draw after 90 minutes, if we have a tie in the NBA, NFL or NHL after the regulation period, then these leagues play a further period of overtime to determine a winner.

As far as the fans go, I think this is a brilliant idea and it gives a sense of victory to either team on every occasion, which cannot be said about soccer, rugby and other non-US sports.

When it comes to placing your bets, if you are betting on a US sport then you need to consider this. As you would expect from the bookmakers, they have a betting market to suit every single part of the game, and this includes whether you would like to include overtime or not.

There are two ways to bet on the outcome of a US sport, and these are known as money line betting and 3-way betting.

Betting on moneyline is the most common way to bet on a game in America, and it involves the entire game. There is no such thing as a drawn game, and that counts when it comes to gambling too. If you are looking to bet in the traditional American style then this is the market for you.

The market is a 2 way bet market, with only two possible outcomes and they are Team A winning or Team B winning. It doesn’t matter if your team wins clearly by a huge margin, or they win with the last play in overtime if they win then so do you.

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It is the simplicity of the market that appeals to a lot of new punters, and it also prevents you from losing interest in the game from a betting perspective should it go to overtime. There is nothing worse than seeing your team win in overtime after you have backed them on the 3 way bet line, and it is for this reason that many people are inclined to use the moneyline betting more often than not.

If you are interesting in european football betting, here you can find what is 3 way handicap in soccer?

Of course, because you are betting on something that has more chance of winning, the odds on offer are lower. Instead of including the draw in their calculations when working out the odds on who will win, bookmakers are only thinking about the two teams and therefore the odds are lower.

The 3-way line is the traditional way to bet in non-US sports, so for example, if you are a regular soccer gambler then you are going to understand how this market works and it may be easier for you to use this market when you are just starting out (read this – soccer betting explained).

If you are beginning to bet on a new sport then using familiar betting markets is always a good idea, then you are not changing too many things, so think about this if you are moving across to a US sport from a more traditional one.

If those who bet on soccer want some kind of comparison when they are deciding which market to use then think of the options as if you were betting on a knockout game of football at a major event like the FIFA World Cup.

You can bet on the 90-minute result, which is what the 3-way line represents, but you can also back a team to qualify from the game, which may include extra time and penalties. That is what the moneyline betting represents.

The advantage of using the 3 way bet line is that you will get better odds about your selection as you are broadening the potential outcomes in the game. If you are placing a bet and there are three outcomes, the odds on offer will be greater than if just two outcomes were in play, and that is exactly the case here.

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However, the downside to using the 3-way line is that the team you have backed can win the game, but your bet can be a loser and this can be hard to watch sometimes. If you back an NFL team and the game goes to overtime, watching them win with the first play of overtime is not easy, so think about that when you are placing your bets on the markets available.

This is entirely up to your own personal choice. If you are new to betting all together, then the money line is an easier market to understand and while the odds on offer are lower, you do have more chance of winning. You will become more interested in betting and learn more about the process if you are winning, so winning early in your ‘career’ is important.

If you are transferring across to a new sport but you understand betting and you have bet on a sport like football before that is a 3 way bet market, then that may be the best place to go.

Here you will already know and understand how the market works, and although you may find yourself backing teams to win that go onto win in overtime, the odds are generally better and you will understand the market fully.

Experienced gamblers will generally use a combination of the two markets on offer, depending on the situation they are in. If a team is strongly fancied to win then the better odds on offer using the 3-way market may be the best to take.

However, if you are struggling to split the two teams then you want everything on your side you can possibly get, and that includes the potential for an overtime win on the money line.