Betting is a form of wagering on sports that allows you to have a vested interest in the outcome of an event. It can make the game more exciting and entertaining, but it should be done with a clear plan in mind. There are a variety of bets to choose from including money lines, spreads, and parlays. In addition, there are also prop bets which allow you to place bets on more specific outcomes such as how many points a team will score.

In general, people pay more attention to teams at the top of their league and betting dollars flow toward them. This can create an opportunity to bet on underdogs who have extra value because the masses are fawning over heavy favorites.

To fade the public, bettors should pay close attention to line movements. This can be done by following a number of free resources online that provide real-time action distributions for different bet types.

Another way to make a smart bet is to use the zig zag betting system. It’s a variation on the Martingale system where you increase your bet unit by an equal amount after every loss, but return to the base betting unit after each win. The goal is to increase your winning percentage enough so that your units outnumber your losses.