What Is In-Play Betting?
Also known as live betting, in-play betting means that you bet on a sporting event as it’s happening. For example, you can bet on the winner of a tournament after it has already started.
The great thing about in-play betting on Golf that sets it apart from other sports is the pace. Typically, in-play betting means that you have to make snap decisions and get your bet in as quickly as possible. However, Golf provides a much slower pace, giving you time to think about your bet, consider what you’ve seen in the tournament so far, and place your bet without a rush.
Of course, in-play betting isn’t just about placing a bet based solely on what you’ve seen so far. You need to combine this with knowledge of the course and the players and have a few strategies in your belt.
How To Bet On Golf In-Play
As with placing any bet, it all starts with selecting your bookmaker. Being a popular sport, all good betting sites will offer in-play betting for Golf. With a wide selection to choose from, it’s about finding the right one for you. When comparing betting sites, consider things like:
- How easy the site is to use
- The markets they offer for in-play betting
- Any welcome offers or bonuses they have on
The top betting sites will also alert you if the odds change for the market while you are placing your bet. This is an incredibly helpful feature as you’ll always know the price you’re backing. Odds can vary for each market between bookmakers. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have multiple golf betting sites up your sleeve so that you get the best odds for the specific market you are looking to bet on.
Once you have selected your betting sites, placing your bet is easy and works in the same way as pre-tournament betting. Many sites will house a link for the in-play betting options on their homepage for easy access. However, you can also place your bet by:
- Logging in to your chosen betting site
- Navigate to their golf section
- Within this section, locate the in-play markets
- Select the market you wish to bet on
- Enter your wager and submit your bet
Strategies For In-Play Betting On Golf
- Keep a close eye on the odds
As with all in-play betting, the odds are constantly fluctuating based on what happens in the tournament as it goes along. The odds can also change based on how close to the ‘deadline’ it is. For example, when betting on the outright winner of the tournament you’ll find higher odds at the start and lower odds as the end of the tournament nears.
Paying attention to the changing odds allows you to use this fluctuation of the market to your advantage. It can help you to find the right time to place your bet to get the best value.
Knowing how the odds change is also incredibly helpful. For example, we know that the odds for the winner of a tournament will be very different at the start compared to towards the end. A good tip to bear in mind when betting on Golf is that in many big tournaments, such as the Masters, it is incredibly rare for the early leaders to go on to win. Therefore, the odds will be higher for other players not in the lead towards the start and they could be a great option for the outright winner.
- Consider hole-by-hole betting
Hole-by-hole betting markets can be a great option for successful betting. Statistics for this in-play market can be easily obtained as many tournaments are typically played on the same courses each year. Therefore, you can look at past data for each hole and player to help you predict the outcome this time around.
Looking at this data can also give you an indication of if a player favours a particular hole and struggles with another. Combine this with any pre-tournament interviews where the player may mention where they feel their strengths and weaknesses lie and you will have a good idea of how they will get on with each hole.
A very important consideration with any type of Golf bet is the weather. Different conditions can mean incredibly different outcomes as the weather dictates how a course is played. When looking at the weather for the week, also consider how each player performs in different conditions. Some players may have learnt in a particular wet county, giving them greater experience and an advantage over a player who has rarely played in heavy wind or rain.
- Prop bets are your best friend
When it comes to betting in-play on Golf, prop bets are a great option. Outright betting can be difficult if you are new to Golf betting and it also comes with a greater risk. With betting on an outright winner of a tournament, you will typically find the most value towards the start of a tournament, at which point anything can happen. Whereas, prop bets have a much shorter projection and can lead to quick wins.
Prop bets allow you to bet on almost anything within a tournament, from hole-in-ones to lefty/righty wins. When watching the tournament, you’ll likely come across plenty of information that will help you back an outcome for at least one prop bet. Bets for a player to finish in the top 5 or the top 10 are a particular favourite amongst seasoned Golf in-play bettors.
With any sport we have an interest in, we are bound to have our favourite players. But, when it comes to betting, it’s important to ignore these biases. While we may hope for our favourite to go on to win, if their performance once the tournament has started and any previous data suggests otherwise, then it is not wise to bet on them to be the winner.
The same applies to prop bets. We may want our favourite golfer to get a hole-in-one, but that doesn’t mean it will happen, unless of course historical data shows it as a strong possibility. When betting in-play, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the tournament. But it’s important to remember that you will be more successful if you base your predictions on facts and information rather than who you want to win.
- If you see an edge, take it
Any punter wants their bet to be successful and therefore will look for ways to increase this probability. One way is to look for an edge. If your analysis and research suggest that a player is more likely to win in a market where a betting site thinks their chances are low and has therefore given them higher odds, this is a great opportunity to place a bet with a good chance of success and receive a higher return at the same time. Of course, bookmakers are also looking at a lot of information in order to set their odds so this isn’t a common occurrence, but if you spot an edge it can be a good idea to take it.
