MMA betting is one of the fastest growing markets at sportsbooks and wagering sites. With millions of fans, the sport draws a strong audience and is often featured on marquee fight cards and the UFC’s main event schedule. This article focuses on how to bet on MMA fights, including the various types of MMA betting and how to find the best odds.
While most of the money wagered on MMA events is on simple bets on who will win, there are also plenty of other ways to place a wager on the fight. Many of these wagers revolve around how the fight will end or how long it will last, and can be very profitable if you know what you’re doing.
The MMA betting market is very similar to the other major sports, with oddsmakers setting head-to-head moneylines based on implied probability. Underdog fighters will have a plus (+) sign while favorites will have a minus (-) sign. The larger the number for a favorite, the more likely a sportsbook believes they will win.
In addition to the standard bets on who will win, MMA bettors can also make Method of Victory and Round Prop bets. These bets allow you to predict how a fight will end, with options such as KO/TKO, Submission, and Points. This is a great way to increase your payouts without increasing your risk, but be sure to do your research first!
It’s also important to understand how fighters’ styles match up. For example, orthodox fighters tend to have an advantage over southpaw fighters because they are usually right-handed and can use their natural reach to their advantage. A deeper understanding of fighters’ style can lead to better handicapping and help you find value in the MMA betting market.
Another popular type of MMA wager is the Over/Under on how many rounds the fight will last. The Over/Under bets are typically very popular because they can result in a higher payout than just betting on which fighter will win. Similarly, there are Over/Under bets on how many points each fighter will score throughout the fight. These bets can be especially profitable if you’re able to pick out which fighter will score more points.
Some bettors will also look at a fighter’s record against other competitors and try to do what is known as “MMA math.” They’ll compare records from similar opponents, such as the number of victories and losses, in an attempt to predict future results. This practice is a common mistake because it takes away attention from studying fighter film and analyzing their styles.
MMA players can find the fight props they’re interested in on BetMGM’s MMA menu by heading to their sportsbook and clicking on the “MMA” banner. They can then add any of the suggested props to their bet slip by clicking on them, and can also find a variety of other betting promotions like parlay boosts from time to time.