A sports bet is a type of gambling in which you place a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. The bet has two possible outcomes: you win a profit or you lose your wager.

There are several different types of bets in sports betting, including moneylines, spreads and parlays. Each has different odds, which are a measure of the implied probability of an outcome and how much you can win.

The odds are the first thing you should look at when deciding on which bet to make. They are usually displayed in American odds, fractional odds or decimal odds and will give you the implied probability of an outcome, along with the amount of money you can win.

Bettors need to consider the line move, which is the change in the odds based on the amount of action coming into the sportsbook. This can be due to injuries, weather or other factors, and it is important to time your bet accordingly.

Another important consideration is the prop bets. These are different from the moneyline or spread bets, and they can include anything from a player’s total strikeouts to an outfielder’s home run total.

In many cases, these bets are placed on future events. For example, a bet on which team will win the Super Bowl in the upcoming season is called a futures bet. These bets typically have long odds and pay out a higher amount if the team wins. However, they do have a lower win-probability, so bettors should only place these bets if they are confident that the team will win the game.