Whether you are a diehard fan or you’re just a casual fan, a sports bet can be a lot of fun. It’s a great way to add some excitement to a game or a viewing experience. But there are a few things to keep in mind before you start placing a sports bet.

The most common bets are spreads, moneylines and parlays. The point spread is usually a margin of points by which the favored team must win the game to cover the spread. In other words, the Oakland Raiders must win by 11, 12, or 13 points to cover the spread.

The moneyline is the most popular bet. In a sportsbook, the moneyline is a line of numbers that show the money you’ll win in relation to the amount you’ll bet. For instance, if you bet $10 on the Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, you’ll win $11.

Parlays are also an important type of bet. In a parlay, you combine multiple outcomes to create a single bet. For instance, if you were to place a $11 wager on the Oakland Raiders to beat the Los Angeles Chargers by 10 or 14 points, you’d win $21.

A matched bet is also a popular technique in the US sports betting market. It’s a bet where you bet that two teams will finish in the top two of a parlay. For instance, if you bet on the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants to finish in the top two of a three-team parlay, you’ll win $45.

An accumulator is a type of parlay that’s similar to the banker bet. You place a bet on a number of different teams to finish in the top two of a parlay. If you’re wrong, you lose.