MMA betting is one of the fastest-growing markets at sportsbooks and online gambling sites. This is thanks to the popularity of UFC fights and the growth of smaller promotions like ONE Championship and Bellator. There are a variety of bets you can place on an MMA fight, including moneyline wagers and over/under round totals. Some sportsbooks also offer live MMA betting during a fight, but beware of the risks involved in this type of wager.
When placing a moneyline bet, you’re wagering on which fighter will win the fight. Oddsmakers calculate an implied probability for each fighter and then set a moneyline price. The oddsmaker will adjust the moneyline prices according to how many people are placing bets on each fighter.
Moneyline bets are popular because they are simple to place and don’t require a large bankroll. They are often used in combination with other types of bets, such as a parlay. A parlay bet combines multiple individual bets into one large bet with a much higher payout than making separate bets.
In addition to the standard moneyline bet, you can also place a bet on how a fight will end, including a KO/TKO, DQ, or submission win. These are known as method of victory bets and they carry a higher potential payout than a simple moneyline bet.
Depending on how close the fight is, bettors can also make an over/under round totals bet. This bet predicts how long the fight will last by dividing the number of rounds by the number of minutes per round. For example, a fight with a total of 2.5 rounds has an over/under of 3.5 rounds. If you bet the over, you must win the fight before 2:30 in the fourth round to collect your winnings.
A bet on a total rounds bet is similar to the over/under in boxing, except that there are fewer options since most MMA fights are only three or five rounds. Some of the more common total rounds bets are 3.5 rounds, four rounds, and five rounds.
There are also a variety of MMA prop bets you can make. These bets are often more difficult to handicap than standard bets because of the different ways a fight can end. For example, a bet on a fighter to win in the first round requires you to understand the fighter’s style and their previous fight history. A fighter who has struggled to make weight may be tired from starving themselves leading up to the fight, resulting in them losing steam during the early rounds.
Similarly, fighters who have recently lost a knockout loss might be extra cautious inside the octagon and less likely to take risky moves. This could lead to a more defensive-based fight that favors the underdog. This is why it’s important to pay attention to a fighter’s record in the weight class and their recent performance against top opponents.