How Does Rugby Betting Work?

Rugby has a unique betting structure since the sport has great international appeal. Outright betting is very popular in rugby tournaments. It is important for a rugby fan to understand betting terminology before investing their money on games or tournaments.

Handicap

Handicap betting is when the sports books determine a certain amount of points that the favored team should win by. A person will bet that the favored team will cover the spread, and defeat the opposing team by more points then the predetermined amount, or they will bet on the underdog team to win the game or only lose by a certain amount.

For example, in a rugby tournament one team may be favored by -10.5 points. This means there is a handicap worth 10 points when betting on the underdog to win the game. The negative sign explains which team is favored to win in the contest. In addition, spreads for rugby games can change before the game begins. The odds may fluctuate due to a variety of reasons such as changes to the rosters or inclement weather.

Over/Under

Betting on the total combined score of a rugby game is called over/under betting. Prior to a game, sports books will develop a hypothetical combined total number of points scored by both teams. Odds will also be created whether both teams will score a combined total of points over or under the theoretical amount.

For example, at a rugby tournament a sports book may determine that the combined score of the game will be 45 points. The over bet may have odds of -120. This means a person must bet $120 to receive a profit of $100. Also, if the under has odds of -110, that means the sports book believes there is a higher chance the total score of the game will be over the hypothetical set score rather than under.

Tournament and Season Betting

For rugby tournaments, it is more common for a person to bet on the overall winner than individual games. Betting on which team will win a tournament is called outright betting. The sport of rugby has several different international tournaments every year. There are also professional national leagues going on year-round throughout the world. Fans can bet on which team will win the championship before or during the season or tournament.

Fans new to the sport of rugby are recommended to place outright bets. Outright bets give a fan a team to cheer for during the tournament. Also, each year there are multiple international tournaments where countries face off against each other. Novice fans have fun betting on their home country.

For season outright bets, the odds of a team winning may fluctuate as the season progresses. A lot can happen to a team as players get injured or trades occur. Odds will vary as these variables change. However, if a person makes an outright bet before the season begins, but the odds change during the season, their payout will be considered from the odds at the time of purchase.

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