Mma betting has transformed the sport of mixed martial arts into more than just a spectacle to watch. It now has a more strategic component that motivates fans to do more research into fighter matchups, training schedules and fight histories. Pre-fight analysis and statistical breakdowns have also become a greater factor in betting decisions, and are driving the demand for MMA podcasts, YouTube breakdowns, and pre-fight prediction programs.
The most basic MMA bet is the money line, where you are wagering on which fighter will win the fight. Favorites are considered more likely to win and have a minus symbol in front of their odds, while underdogs have a plus symbol in front of their odds. Mma betting lines are constantly changing and can be affected by things such as punches, takedowns, and momentum swings. The rise of mma betting has also enabled smaller events and regional MMA circuits to flourish. This has helped introduce new fighting techniques and talent to a wider audience.
Besides traditional MMA betting, you can place prop bets, futures, and live bets. Prop bets are wagers on specific occurrences in the fight, such as who will get the first knockdown or attempt the first submission maneuver. They are often offered at higher odds than the main bets, so they can make for some profitable wagers. Futures are a type of long-term bet, where you predict what will happen in the future, such as who will become the champion in a particular weight class or division.
Another popular MMA bet is the over/under rounds bet, which is a wager on how many total rounds the fight will last before a winner is announced. In MMA, fighters are more aggressive than in boxing, and so the over bet is typically the winning play. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to consider the fighters’ styles when determining how many rounds a fight will last. For example, heavyweights tend to throw harder punches and go for a knockout early on, so they will typically last fewer rounds than lighter fighters.