A prop bet is a play on a specific aspect of a game outside of the actual outcome. Rather than betting on the side or total, you might want to bet on how well an individual player performs.

Prop bets are more unique compared to standard plays on the overall outcome of a game. They can be made on a certain player or on the game itself. In basketball you can bet the over or under on how many points someone scores, how many assists they distribute, how many rebounds they grab, how many three-pointers they make, and more. Among the player props in baseball are hits, home runs, and strikeouts. Popular football props include touchdowns scored and yards gained. In hockey you can bet on statistics like goals, saves and shots attempted. Game props relate to certain aspects of…well…the game – but beyond just picking the side or total. In a hockey or soccer game, for example, there may be a market for the time at which the first goal is scored. In football you can often bet how many total touchdowns are scored, and in the Super there are all kinds of exotic options like the coin toss, the length of the national anthem, what songs will be sung during the halftime show and the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach.

Most sportsbooks offer prop bets – either game props or player props, or both – on most professional sporting events that are of any significance, in addition to notable college games. You might want to shop at a few different sportsbooks, however, because the odds could be slightly different depending on the book. For example, you could find a prop play at -120 at one book instead of -130 at another.Just as you would before making a money line or point spread wager, it is important to do research on team and player news, injuries, head-to-head history in a particular matchup, and everything else that helps you make more informed bets. When it comes to baseball and football props, it is especially paramount to note weather conditions. NFL offenses as a whole and their skill-position players individually may struggle to put up big numbers if the forecast calls for a monsoon. In Major League Baseball, wind blowing in from left field at 20 MPH would surely help the pitchers’ chances of throwing gems, while likely putting a dent in hitters’ production.

Yes, you can generally parlay prop bets from two or more different games, just as you can parlay money line and/or point spread bets on two or more different games. For example, you could pick Lamar Jackson to score a touchdown in the Ravens’ game, along with Saquon Barkley to score a touchdown in the Giants’ game. As is the case with all parlays, this increases the odds and the payout compared to a single prop bet, but both selections must be correct for the bet to win. It should also be noted that same game parlays are a new market available at select sportsbooks. In same game parlays, you can lump game picks and player props into the same bet. For example, in a 2021 NBA Finals game you could parlay the over on Devin Booker’s points with the under on Chris Paul’s assists and the over on Khris Middleton’s three-pointers made. Good value can at times be found in SGPs because you can correlate the plays. Here’s an MLB example: you could parlay a Padres win with the over on Yu Darvish’s strikeouts, plus Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit a home run. Obviously Darvish striking out a bunch of batters and Tatis Jr. going deep would enhance the chances of a Padres win, thus increasing the likelihood of such a parlay cashing. However, sportsbooks are aware of this correlation and price it into the odds.

Different types of prop bets involve games, teams, players and novelty markets. They can range from how many total touchdowns will be scored (game), how many points one team will score by itself (team), how many interceptions a quarterback will throw (player), and on what color of Gatorade the winning coach will be dumped (novelty).

A player prop is a bet on how a specific player fares in a certain statistical category within a certain game. Let’s discuss some of the basic and most popular player props in a variety of sports. In football, you can bet the over or under on a quarterback’s passing yards (could be something like 299.5). In basketball, you can bet on the over or under on the number of points someone scores (could be 24.5, for example). In baseball, you can bet on the over or under on a pitcher’s strikeouts (maybe 5.5). In hockey, you can bet the over or under on a player’s shots on goal (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, etc.).Similar to owning a fantasy team or playing daily fantasy, betting on player props adds an extra level of excitement to any game that you are paying attention to. It can potentially be lucrative, as well. While it can at times be difficult to find value in the few game markets that are offered (such as the money line, the point spread or total), you can often times identify a prop bet when perusing the plethora of prop markets that are available on major sporting events. Given how many player props can be offered within a game, some lines set by the books may not be as sharp as the more traditional game markets.

Team prop bets only involve one team in a particular matchup, basically eliminating the opposition from the equation. Obviously, the opponent will have an impact on what the other team does, but a team prop bet gives you fewer factors to worry about. In a basketball game, you might want to bet on one team’s total points instead of the overall game total. If one team is dealing with injury issues that aren’t confirmed or has simply been inconsistent, you may not be interested in betting on the game total. But if you feel like you have a good read on the other team’s offense, you may want the bet on the over or under just for that team’s total points.

Exotic or novelty prop bets are more unusual markets that are offered only on certain games, generally ones that are of extreme importance that inspire more wagering than normal. As you might expect, the Super Bowl is the most well-known example. There are novelty offers before that game even begins. You can bet on the coin toss (Heads or Tails and which team will win it) and the length of the National Anthem. In-game novelty props include an offensive lineman to score a touchdown and someone other than a quarterback to throw a touchdown pass. Post-game props include the color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach and who the MVP thanks first in his speech.

Novelty/exotic props add an element of fun to your betting portfolio, and at the same time making a profit is by no means out of the question. Like with other prop bets, the sportsbook may not be as sharp with their novelty lines as they are with more standard bets.

Football props are the most popular among all sports because there are so many different statistics from so many different players on the field in each game. Among the most popular player props are passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns scored.

It is especially important in football (and in baseball when it comes to opposing pitchers) to consider the specific matchup before placing a bet on a player prop. The odds will be adjusted accordingly when, for example, a running back is going up against the worst rushing defense in the league. But it’s still crucial to do your own research to decide where there is or isn’t value. A particular defense could be the best in the NFL against the pass and the worst in the NFL against the run. That may create an opportunity to jump on the over for the opposing running back’s yardage total. And, of course, always pay close attention to injury reports that are generally extensive every week in football.

There are a smorgasbord of basketball props available on most games, thanks to the bevy of statistics that naturally come with the sport. Among the most popular player props are points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers made. You can usually bet on a combination of points, rebounds, and assists, as well (such as points + rebounds, points + assists, rebounds + assists, or the sum of all three).

In the NBA, factors like injuries, rest days and minutes restrictions are all too common. You need to stay on top of every player’s status heading into each game, as it could have an impact on not only the player in question but also his teammates. For example, if Giannis Antetokounmpo is either out or less than 100 percent, you can be sure that Khris Middleton will shoulder more of the load from an offensive output standpoint.

There aren’t as many baseball props available compared to basketball and football, but there are still plenty available. One of the most popular is strikeouts for a starting pitcher. On the hitting side, a player to hit a home run or deliver a multi-hit performance are relatively common markets. Runs, RBIs, and stolen bases may not be as readily available but, at times, can be found depending on your sportsbook of choice.

Head-to-head matchups are especially important to consider in baseball. In basketball and hockey, the opponent does not matter as much for any player’s projected output. With some exceptions, they generally fare in a similar way against all opponents. In baseball, however, how a particular hitter fares against a pitcher must be taken into account. Needless to say, you would probably want to avoid playing overs on various hitting props when a team is going up against Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

There are not quite as many hockey props available compared to basketball, football, and even baseball, simply because there are not as many statistical categories in the box scores. That’s not to say there aren’t options. Goals, assists, points, and shots on goal are popular player props for the NHL.

Over plays on assists can at times be a more attractive option than over plays on goals, simply because there are often two assists – primary and secondary – for every goal that is scored. It’s much easier to rack up assists than goals. Obviously, the odds will reflect as much, but it can still be a way to go if you dig deep enough to find good value. It is important to note the starting goalies for any game you might be betting on. If one team is giving its main starter a day off and the backup is a considerably weaker goalie, over bets on goals and assists for players on the other team can suddenly become intriguing plays.

Prop bets can make a game far more enjoyable and exhilarating to watch. After all, in a blowout, the money line play may be done and dusted by halftime, but you could have a prop bet at stake that is in limbo until the very end. Even if a money line, point spread or total bet is competitive from start to finish, having prop bets in play gives you more things to focus on and root for while watching.

More importantly, though, is that prop bets can be lucrative. It is a lot easier for sportsbooks to be laser sharp on their more traditional lines like point spreads and game totals. The more props that are available, the more chances there are to post bad numbers that you can take advantage of. In turn, there can be more opportunities to exploit the sportsbooks if you really know your stuff about a certain team or a certain player. Injuries and other inside news from teams’ beat writers – perhaps regarding things like lineup changes – can help you beat the books.