Parlay bets (aka: Accumulators) are wagers in which you select 2 or more point spreads from the day’s card and make a bet that everything you picked will cover the spread. Traditionally, parlays can be bet from 2-12 teams but some sportsbooks out there are starting to test the waters with parlays up to 15 or more teams. Aug 07, 2017 The 11-team parlay hits 1 out of every 2,047 times, and the payout is based on only just over 50% of that ratio. Most of the general betting public doesn’t realize that 55% is an excellent winning percentage when it comes to sports betting.
All reputable sports betting sites offer exciting betting opportunities like parlays one of the most popular and exciting types of wagers. Parlays can result in huge pay outs and are dependent upon the success of multiple events. The best parlay betting sites are listed below.
Parlay Betting Online
Parlays involve wagering on multiple events that are all dependent on each other for the wager to be successful. For example, a parlay might be placed on games that require teams a, b and c each win their games. If just one of those teams loses their game, the entire parlay bet loses.
Parlays are exciting because they offer huge payout odds to winners. Every additional event that is added to a parlay reduces the chances that the bet will win, but increases the payout odds. Many online bettors are attracted to parlays because pay outs can be many times the amount originally wagered.
What Exactly Are Parlays? Considered “exotic” in the sports betting world – parlays certainly provide entertainment. Parlays are becoming more and more popular. Parlays offer players to get an opportunity to receive a big payout. It gives the bettor a chance to bet on many games, and putting them all together into one.
Odds and Payouts On Parlay Wagers? Here are the odds that are typical on at most parlay betting sites. These odds are for point spread parlays. Of course moneyline odds will be different.
- 2 teams – 13-5
- 3 teams – 6-1
- 4 teams – 10-1
- 5 teams – 25-1
- 6 teams – 40-1
- 7 teams – 75-1
- 8 teams – 150-1
- 9 teams – 300-1
- 10 teams – 600-1
Moneyline Parlay Odds: When you are putting money down on a parlay with moneyline games, your odds certainly will differ. The favorite teams obviously give you a better chance to win, but pay less.
What do these odds mean? With parlays, each game you place on your “card” MUST win for you to win the parlay. As you can see from the odds, your chances get smaller each time you input a result in. These odds will vary depending on what teams you select. For example, a big favorite in a game would help your odds, but most likely decrease your total payout.
Advice For Betting On Parlays – Parlays are fun to play, but sharps often avoid them. It takes a lot of luck to win a big time parlay. Odds of winning a 10-team parlay are around 1000-1, your odds are around 1000-1. This results in a lot of losing money if you continue to place money on big parlays. Certainly if you win a parlay, your bankroll is going to look good for a while.
It’s probably a better idea to pick straight picks instead of parlays. It’s tough enough to win games straight up, let alone pick a whole group of them together accurate. There is a reason many experts in the sports betting consider parlay’s sucker bets.
Choosing Where to Bet on Parlays Online
The best parlay wagering sites share several common attributes we require for listing at BBS. The best parlay betting sites offer all major sports like basketball, hockey, football and baseball. Convenient banking is an important part of reputable parlay betting sites. Members need to be able to make deposits easily to place parlay bets whenever desired, and cashout winning tickets without hassle. High quality support is vital so that any potential issues can be resolved quickly.
You may have heard the term “parlay” in reference to someone combining one asset with another to achieve success. “I bought a new propane grill, and combined with my shopping skills I parlayed that into a great family cookout.”
At the casino or on a sports book, to parlay means something similar. Easily the most popular of all exotic wagers in sports betting, a parlay (or “combo”) is a collection of 2 or more sides or totals that you place a wager on and all of them must win in order for you to cash in.
MLB, NFL and NBA Parlay Rules
Most bettors love the idea of having a chance at a big payoff from a small wager. But parlays are hard to win, and come with a strict set of rules. Let’s look at some of the ins and outs.
Bookies offer this category of wager to lure the gambler into a tough situation. For instance, on a 4-team parlay, going 3-1 is no different than going 0-4. You lose in either case. However, if you’d placed 4 individual bets and won 3 while losing 1, you would make a decent chunk of change. But you would have saved yourself a lot of money by betting the combo instead of placing 4 individual bets if you went 0-4.
“Correlated” outcomes are strictly against the rules, which means you cannot benefit from results that are related to one another. For instance, a finesse passing team might be pitted against a strong defensive unit in the Super Bowl. If you pick the latter squad, you cannot place a combo bet on the “under,” since that outcome is more likely to occur if the strong defense controls the contest.
Below is a table that lists the chances of hitting a combo if all wagers are “pick’em,” or evenly-matched “coin flip” scenarios – what sports books give you for each ratio, and the chance of a winner if you hit 55%. Obviously, if you’re a 55% handicapper, then there are good deals in the offing. This table shows the odds for 2-team combos all the way up to 11 teams.
| # of Teams | Your chances at 50% | Payout in Vegas | Your chances at 55% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3/1 | 2.6/1 | 2.3/1 |
| 3 | 7/1 | 6/1 | 5.0/1 |
| 4 | 15/1 | 10/1 | 9.9/1 |
| 5 | 31/1 | 20/1 | 18.9/1 |
| 6 | 63/1 | 40/1 | 35.1/1 |
| 7 | 127/1 | 75/1 | 64.7/1 |
| 8 | 255/1 | 150/1 | 118.4/1 |
| 9 | 511/1 | 300/1 | 216.1/1 |
| 10 | 1,023/1 | 700/1 | 393.8/1 |
| 11 | 2,047/1 | 1,200/1 | 716.8/1 |
As you can see, for the normal bettor who only hits on 50% of their wagers, trying for a 4-0 (or 3-0, or 2-0) record on the same day is a bad idea. It gets worse the more wagers you add. A 2-teamer isn’t terrible because you expect to hit 1 out of each 3 you bet, and you get rewarded 2.6 to 1. A 3-teamer isn’t that bad either because your expected chances are 7-1, while you get paid 6-1.
Parlay Card Payouts
Avoiding “Sucker” Bets On Sports Book Parlays
Where you really see the biggest sucker bets are the 4-team combos. These wagers only work 1 out of every 15 times, yet you only get paid 10-1. Picking 8 winners and 0 losers only scores a hit once in every 255 times, but you only get paid 150-1 if successful. The 11-team parlay hits 1 out of every 2,047 times, and the payout is based on only just over 50% of that ratio.
Most of the general betting public doesn’t realize that 55% is an excellent winning percentage when it comes to sports betting. But the table also illustrates that if you pick 55% victorious teams/athletes, then every single combo listed is a profitable wager over the long term. The chances of hitting an 11-teamer drop from 2,047-1 to 716.8-1 when you pick 55%. Considering you get paid out 1,200-1, it actually isn’t a bad deal for the 55% handicappers.
The Lines Don’t Always Favor Betting Parlays
Free Printable Parlay Sheets
In conclusion, I almost never recommend betting parlays for newer cash players. There are times when I’ll put out a 2-team combo on a football game if 2 favorites are being under-valued, but only a of couple times a year. Your best move is to stick to straight bets in football and basketball with the point spreads and totals.
College Football Parlay Cards
Sometimes, conference vs conference match-ups are a good opportunity for a successful combo wager if 1 of the 2 conferences is under-valued. For instance, ACC football went 4-0 vs the SEC on a Saturday in 2014 – nobody expected that except a few savvy gamblers. Georgia Tech over Georgia was just one of the upsets that took place on that November day as bookies lost out to the ever-popular SEC hype train driving the lines. Another opportunity for this kind of combo bet occurs during early-season conference vs conference “challenge” tourneys in college basketball.
Parlay Cards Now
I know it’s tempting to try and strike it rich on a big “trifecta,” but the chances are less in your favor as the number of picks goes up. So have fun, but proceed with caution!