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Best ChoiceHow Does Sports Betting Work in Kansas?
To make a bet, you first need to open an online account with a licensed Kansas sportsbook. Every day, your sportsbook will offer you odds on bets that you can make on all kinds of different sports and games. Simply pick which of the bets you want to make, and determine how much money you want to wager. Once you place your wager, you just sit back and enjoy the game. And you can even bet during the game.
How Do I Place a Bet on Sports Games in Kansas?
Placing a bet is easy, even for beginners. First, find a game that you'd like to bet on. Then, navigate to the sportsbook home page, and search for the sport or game you'd like to bet on. Once you find it, you'll be able to view all of the available betting lines. When you find one you like, just decide the amount you want to wager, and place your bet.
How Do I Read Betting Lines?
Reading betting lines is one of the trickiest things for beginners and novice sports bettors, but it's easier than it seems. The basic premise is that every sports game has a favorite and an underdog. The favorite's odds will display as a - sign and a 3 digit number, and the underdog's will display as a + sign and a 3 digit number. These numbers refer to how much a bet would pay out.
Let's use an example. Let's say the Kansas City Chiefs are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, and the bookies have the Chiefs at -130, and the Bucs at +110. If you bet on the underdog, Tampa Bay, the +110 line means that a $100 bet would return a payout of $110, netting $210. When you bet the favorite, it's the other way around. If you bet on Kansas City at -130, you would have to bet $130 for the bet to return $100.
How Much Should You Wager on a Bet?
When it comes down to it, nobody can tell you how much you should bet on sports. Sometimes, Kansas betting apps or sites will have minimum wagering requirements or maximum wagering requirements that determine the limits they set for themselves.
Remember to read the line carefully, and figure out how much you need to bet to get your desired payout. But with that said, it's even more important to remember to only bet what you can afford to lose. It's easy to lose money betting, so be careful, and only bet for fun.
American Odds vs. European Odds
Most of the time, bettors in Kansas will be using American odds, but it's still a good idea to understand how European odds work. American odds use the betting lines that we explained before, where odds display as +/- signs and three digit numbers. A $10 bet at +300 returns $30 ($100 would return $300, so $10 returns $30).
European odds are often called "fractional" odds. That means they display as a fraction, so +300 would instead read as 3/1. This system is arguably even more straightforward to understand. A $10 bet at 3/1 returns $30 (3 x $10). Usually, you'll see this kind of odds on British, Irish, and European sporting markets, and some international competitions.
Most operators give you the option to display Kansas betting odds in the format you find most comfortable.
Choosing the Right Sportsbook for Beginners
When you're getting started, you'll probably find that there are more options than you can easily track. We'll go over a few of the things you should look for when you're shopping around. Once you know how to compare sportsbooks, you'll be better prepared to pick the one that's right for you, and create an account.
Features
The first thing to look for is the sportsbook's essential features. What kinds of bets can you make? Do they offer promotions or how about a live streaming option? Do they have what is important to you?
Promotions
Promotions are a sportsbook's way of incentivizing bettors to use their platform. All the best operators will offer a big welcome bonus, like a deposit match or bonus bet, so make sure the operator you choose offers one! Also keep an eye out for regular Kansas sportsbook promos, like daily odds boosts, parlay insurance, profit boosts, and more! All the latest promos are listed in our reviews.
Available Sports
When it comes to betting, the more options you have the better off you are. Sign up with an operator that offers all the major sports leagues and much more. See if they offer niche markets like international leagues and exotic sports, and also look for a good variety of bet types on all the sports they offer.
Customer Support
Make sure your site offers reliable customer support in case you run into an issue. When it comes to customer support, the holy trinity is a 24/7 live chat, 24-hour phone support, and an e-mail address or online form for non-urgent queries.
Easy Payment Options
It's no use knowing how to make a sports bet if you can't deposit money into your account! Look out for an operator that accepts lots of payment options, including at least one or two payment methods you know you can use. These include credit card, debit card, online bank transfer, wire transfer, online wallets, prepaid cards, and more.
What Are the Most Popular Sports Bets?
A big part of learning how to bet on sports is learning all the different kinds of bets that you can make on a given game. In this next section, we'll explain the most popular types of wagers among sports bettors like yourself.
Moneyline
This is the most basic type of sports bet. When betting a moneyline, bettors simply choose between which of two teams will win the game at the odds provided.
For instance, if the lines on an NFL game were Kansas City Chiefs (-180) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (+150), bettors would simply pick which team's odds they like better, and place a wager on that team. If you place $100 on the Raiders, you would win $150 and net $250 total. To win $100 on the Chiefs, you would have to wager $180.
Point Spreads
Point spreads are pretty similar to moneylines, but rather than betting on the winner "outright," these bets also account for the expected difference between each team's final score (in other words, the margin of victory). Aside from alternate spread lines, standard spreads are typically closer to even odds, around -110 or -120.
Let's say the Kansas City Royals are favored by -1.5 runs against the Texas Rangers. That means the Royals would need to win by at least 2 runs for the bet to win. Alternatively, if you bet the Rangers +1.5, you would need them to either win, or lose by no more than 1 run.
Totals Betting or Over/Unders
When you bet on a total, you're betting on whether the total number of points, runs or goals scored by both teams combined will be over or under a predetermined amount. In this type of bet, the winner of the game is completely irrelevant.
Let's say that the the Kansas Jayhawks are playing the Texas Longhorns in football, and the over/under is 44.5. If you bet on the Over, you will need at least 45 combined points scored for your bet to win. If the score ends 24-20, however, totaling 44 points, the Over wager would lose.
Parlays
Parlay bets are bets that combine multiple wagers for a much higher payout than placing each bet individually. For the bet to win, all of the individual wagers (at least two or more bets) need to win. Each time you add a bet to your parlay, the sportsbook will recalculate the amount that your bet would pay out.
For instance, you might place a parlay on the Jayhawks football team to cover a spread of +3.5, the Chiefs moneyline, and the Under on a Kansas State Wildcats game total. To get your money, all three of your predictions need to come true.
Live Betting
Live betting is another super popular way to bet. Live sports bets are wagers that bettors place on a game that is already in progress. These bets use constantly fluctuating live odds, which change according to what happens in the game.
For instance, the Chiefs moneyline might be at -180 before a game starts. If the team they are playing jumps out to an early 10-0 lead, the odds might swing, and Chiefs moneyline might be priced at something like +140 as a live bet.
Futures
Futures are bets that you place on sporting events that take place further into the future, at least a few weeks away. These can include things like picking which team you think will win the Super Bowl, NCAA Championship, or another title well before the event occurs.
Nobody has a crystal ball, so betting futures can get pretty dicey. This is to say that futures bets are notoriously difficult to win, but fortunately the odds usually reflect that.
Prop Bets
Proposition bets (or more often just "prop bets") have to do with individual or team statistics, or other random events throughout a game, match or other sporting event. These are bets on things like how many points or touchdowns an individual player will score, which team will score first, or other individual/team stats and occurrences.
On big events like the Super Bowl, you'll even see prop bets on things like how long the national anthem will last, the color of the Gatorade bath at the end of the game, or which teams wins the coin toss.
What Are the Most Popular Sports to Bet On in Kansas?
Kansas bettors will bet on all kinds of sports. Here are a few of the most popular sports you will be able to wager on.
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NFL Betting The most popular sport for betting is NFL football. Perfect for point spreads, prop bets, and live bets, football fans love to bet on their favorite team. And with the Chiefs poised to make another deep playoff run, this year's as good as any to start betting on the NFL. -
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MLB Betting America's pastime and sports betting go hand in hand. There are plenty of bets to make on the MLB, and you can find them at any major sportsbook. And even though the Kansas City Royals might not be looking so hot these days, there will be plenty of bets and promos to keep you interested in the action. -
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College Sports Betting With the Kansas Jayhawks coming off a massive March Madness win, there's a lot to be excited about when it comes to college betting in Kansas. Additional teams to bet on include the Kansas State Wildcats and Wichita State Shockers. Whether it's football, basketball, or another sport, you'll be able to find plenty of NCAA action at most major sportsbooks. -
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NBA Betting With its fast-paced play, constant momentum shifts, and high-scoring games, sports bettors (and especially live bettors) can't get enough of the NBA. This year, the Boston Celtics are the early favorites to go all the way, and we're looking forward to the season getting underway in October. -
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NHL Betting The NHL is a rapidly expanding market in sports betting, and it's easy to see why. The sport is high octane, with a fast tempo and plenty of action. If you're looking to try something new, we definitely recommend live betting an NHL game — there's lots of fun to be had. -
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Golf Betting Golf — with its fine margins and deep suspense — is also a classic market for sports bettors. This is especially true around major tournaments like Augusta and the British Open. We guarantee that no matter what happens with your bet, you'll be holding your breath when it goes down to the wire.
Bet on Sports in Kansas with These Tips
Finally, here are a few good tips on how to bet on sports for beginners. No matter when you place your first bet, be sure to keep them in mind when you get started.
Lines Are Always Moving
Odds aren't static. They move as the game approaches, and, in the case of live odds, after the game starts. That means that betting the same amount won't always net you the same payout! Be sure to keep track of how the line is changing so you can time your bet to perfection.
Shop for the Best Line
It might sound obvious, but remember that not everyone offers the same odds on the same bet! It's always a good idea to shop around, and see which sportsbook is offering the best line on your chosen bet.
Identify Your Strengths (and Weaknesses)
As you start betting, you can start to figure out what you're good at, and what you aren't. Maybe you're a good long-term analyst with a knack for futures betting, but you get a little impulsive in high-pressure situations like live betting. Or maybe you have a better track record with one sport over another. As Socrates said: know yourself!
Set a Betting Limit
Part of the betting process is setting your limits. Always know how much you're willing to lose, and don't bet more than that! And don't forget the golden rule: never chase your losses!
Keep it Fun
Betting isn't a financial tool. No matter how much effort you put in, you're never going to be able to guarantee yourself wins. So be sure bet for fun and entertainment only! Betting is most enjoyable when you can enjoy a win but if you lose it doesn't sting too badly.
Start to Bet on Sports in Kansas
If you've made it all the way through this piece, you're just about ready to start betting! We've gone over how to bet, what to look for in a sportsbook, along with all the different bet types and the sports you can place them on. Give your new skills on how to bet in Kansas a try.
How to Bet in Kansas FAQs
Author
Julian Miller is a betting analyst for BetKansas.com. He's an accomplished writer who uses his expertise to provide up-to-date analysis of the Kansas online sports and gambling industry.Miller is an authoritative voice in the Kansas sports betting space, providing trustworthy information on the top Kansas sportsbooks, betting apps, and promo codes for Kansas sports bettors. He is a one-stop shop for all things related to sports betting in Kansas.
