How to Make a Live Individual Bet at a Sportsbook

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including How to Choose a Sportsbook — or head to more advanced strategy — like Which Sports Are Most Profitable to Bet? — to learn more.

When thinking about wagering on team sports, many people believe the only bets available are the moneyline, spread or over/unders. While some bettors may realize there are prop bets available, they may assume the prop bets are still team-related. Thus, there is a misconception that the only way to place a sports bet on an individual is by wagering on a non-team related sport like tennis, golf or boxing.

However, making an “individual bet” is very much available in team sports as well as non-team sports. Some of the most exciting ways to make an individual bet is after a game has started. These bets are called “live individual bets.”

If you are new to the concept of live betting, take a look at this article from earlier in our series.

While the prior article focused on live team bets, this article will focus more on live individual bets. They may sound like one and the same, but they are actually quite different.

Get a Risk-Free first bet up to $500 at BetMGM >>

What is a Live Individual Bet?

A live individual bet is a variation of live betting that deals only with individual players. Thus, the final score or the outcome of the game would be irrelevant. The only thing that matters for an individual bet is if the player you wagered on accomplished what you bet them to do.

What are Examples of Live Individual Bets in Team Sports?

Will a Player Score a Goal?

Whether you are betting on soccer or hockey, most sportsbooks have lines available for each player to score a goal. Granted, the odds for Lionel Messi or Alexander Ovechkin are going to be much worse than a lesser-known player. However, one may do their research and find there is a decent chance for a less-heralded player to exploit their matchup. There is always the opportunity for a big payday considering the odds are often high for this type of bet.

Over/Under Number of Points for a Player

What if you do not have any idea if the Lakers will win their matchup, but you know Lebron James is due for a big game? You could always forego betting on a side and simply look at the props available for a player like Lebron. In addition to the over/under on the number of points, sportsbooks are likely to offer odds on a player’s rebounds and assists.

What are Examples of Live Individual Bets in Non-Team Sports?

KO/TKO by Round

When wagering on boxing or UFC, often times the odds are so tilted in one fighter’s favor that it is not worth betting. However, bettors can take advantage of bigger odds by betting on in what round a fighter will TKO or submit their opponent.

Who Will Win the First Set?

Similar to boxing and UFC, oftentimes there are big favorites in tennis matches. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are usually -2500 or worse to defeat their early-round opponents. However, even the best of players are prone to dropping sets. Thus, bettors can take advantage of good odds for players to win a particular set, without having anything tied to the full match.

Who Will Score Lower on a Hole?

How many times have you been interested in betting a golf tournament, only to see a player open up a big lead and coast to victory? Even if the excitement is taken out of a tournament, there are always live bets that keep it interesting. For this particular bet, the odds are usually matched between players in the same pairing. Thus, you can take advantage of one player’s strength on a particular hole and accordingly bet them to score lower than their opponent. If the two golfers shoot the same score on a hole, your bet would be refunded.

How Can I Make a Live Individual Bet?

Making live individual bets remotely from a mobile device or computer is always easier, as the bets are at your fingertips. In-person, one may have to wait on a long line of people before getting to the cashier. By that time, the odds you are looking to wager on may be long gone.

On a sportsbook’s app, look for the “live betting” icon. From there, you can go to the league or sport you wish to wager on. You know you are on the right page if you see spreads and totals constantly changing.

When placing a live bet on an app, be aware that these bets are not always instantaneous. Sportsbooks protect themselves and allow for a chance to update their odds accordingly by placing a ten-second hold on a bet before it gets processed. If you try to make a live wager and the odds change before your bet is processed, it will be “timed out” or considered void. Therefore, you would have to wager again according to the updated odds.

At a sportsbook in-person, make sure the cashier knows that you’re looking to place a live bet. Otherwise, they may look at you with confusion as they realize the game has already started. Have the cashier read the live odds to you, as you may not have access to the most current odds. It is always easier to place a live bet during a stoppage in a game.

With any bet, but more particularly for live betting, timing is everything. Just as easily as one can find value in a live line, the value can also disappear just as quickly. In addition, take note of when your sportsbook stops offering live lines. Every sportsbook is different. Some keep changing their live odds until there are a couple of minutes left in a game, while others may not offer any live lines after halftime.

Check out our BetMGM review and promo codes >>

Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.