What does ‘favorite wins’ mean in live betting

In basic terms, favorite wins are betting outcomes, where the favorite team or the one with the higher winning chances goes on to win the match. For instance, if the highest-ranking team on the table plays with the lowest ranking team, the former goes into the game as the favorite. While the underdog might seem to have fewer chances of winning, the possibility of winning is not null. 

Apart from the table rankings, other numerous factors are also involved in defining the favorite team or the underdog. Also, in some rare cases, the two teams share the same amount of winning chances. In such a situation, betting on a draw or tie might the most reasonable thing to do.   

How often do the favorites win?

Occam’s Razor, a famous problem-solving principle, suggests that the simplest explanation is often the right one. While this concept gets wide acceptance in different aspects of life, it does not apply to live betting. Live betting constitutes so much uncertainty, and the sports betting providers bank on this to make a profit. Nonetheless, overtime favorites win more games than underdogs, but no one can put particular figures to how often favorite teams or underdogs win. Going by statistics and available data, sticking to a specific narrative like always betting on favorite wins will likely reduce your betting balance to null.  

How credible is the bookmaker’s favorite?

One crucial fact that bettors hate to come to terms with is that live betting is always the bettor vs. the bookmaker as one has to lose for the other to win. So does this make the bookmaker’s favorites, as suggested by the odds, irrelevant? 

The fact remains that the bookmakers’ odds are practical estimations from playing history, teams’ form, and other vital statistics. So while the odds are useful predictions from mathematical deductions, the outcome remains very uncertain. The most critical due diligence still lies in the hands of the bettors. Bettors should source for as much information as available from the bookmakers, experience, statistics, analysis website, etc., to make betting decisions.  

The apparent uncertainty in favorite wins and how to go around it

Unless two teams are far apart in terms of form and performance, favorite wins are almost as uncertain as any other betting option. Many bettors often run with the misconception that the bets with the lowest odds are the most certain as this often leads to wrong predictions. In some cases, the favorite team will bring all the dominance and create all the chances but cannot convert them into wins. And the few opportunities that the underdog gets can, however, result in wins. So there will always be at least that atom of doubt before the game. Even when it is almost a given that a particular team will win, questions of doubt will always pop up. Will the favorite maintain their winning streak? Would they take the game for granted? It is challenging to give credible answers to these questions before the start of the game.

How to overcome these betting uncertainties

The uncertainties associated with some of the favorite betting options bring us to the alternative of observing in-Play bets before staking. So while the history of the teams’ performance is essential, sometimes an observation of the first ten minutes might be all you need to make that accurate prediction. Basing your predictions on shots on target or red cards or even offsides might give you the wrong picture. Those details are important, and they should inform the way you analyze the live bets before staking. Furthermore, it is easier to analyze games and teams that you are used to. Do not just bet on matches you cannot watch live or on teams with players you do not know.

It would help if you based your predictions on as much information as possible. Take into cognizance all the statistics that you can lay on your hands. Also, put the history of the two teams playing at the back of your mind and let these delicate details inform your betting intuition. 

Lastly, do not bet on too many live games. You can make different forms of bet on the same game but do not attempt to share your attention by betting on various games playing simultaneously. Also, do not bet to recover losses or see betting as a get-rich scheme. 

Odds movement in live betting

One good advantage with these types of bets is that the odds tend to change with the game’s course. The dynamics of the odds in live bets depend on the score, team performance, and several other factors. In this regard, different bookmakers tend to follow different patterns and indices. So the odds of the home team winning might be 1.46 just before kickoff and rise to 1.50 after 15 minutes of no goal. In a nutshell, the ‘favorite’ can be dynamic, and you, as the bettor, have to be active with your analysis. So your ability to make your bets at the right time can fetch you some vast revenues. 

Conclusion

Live betting comes with a considerable uncertainty level, which can quickly put a hole in your pocket if not adequately arrested. A lot of times, the obvious result and betting on the favorites will fetch the big payouts. Other times, you have to go against the favorite wins and stick your nose in the unpopular scenarios. 

Factually, if most of the popular bets were always correct, the bookmakers would have been bankrupt by now. But the reverse is the case as more bookmakers are springing up all over the globe. The narrative above suggests that only a handful of bettors make wins per time. This is mainly because many bettors bet to recover losses, see betting as a get-rich scheme, or stake on the obvious scenarios. So before going with the popular betting tide, do your analysis and follow your informed instincts.