The MMA betting industry has seen huge growth in recent years, thanks to the growing popularity of the sport and the entertaining personalities of its fighters. But, like all sports betting markets, it’s important to understand the game before you invest your hard-earned money. Here are seven key factors to consider when placing a bet on an upcoming fight.
The first step in mma betting is to sign up with an online sportsbook. These sites offer a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, including credit cards, e-wallets and bitcoin. Most will also offer a mobile application for easy wagering on the go. Once you’ve signed up, make sure to check out the promotions page to see if there are any free bets or bonuses available.
Next, find a site that offers competitive odds on upcoming fights. Mma betting lines are usually posted a few hours before a match begins, but the prices can fluctuate throughout the night as the market adjusts to the expected outcome of the fight. This volatility makes it especially important to stay up-to-date with fight information and pricing, and bet quickly when you spot value.
Another way to improve your MMA betting strategy is by studying the fighters’ records, past performances and training habits. By following the fighters on social media, you can get a better feel for their mindset and physical condition, which is essential for making smart bets. Additionally, you can gain insight into their weight cutting techniques, and determine whether they are eating enough to maintain optimal energy levels.
Finally, you should always bet on the underdog when possible. This bet type is less risky than a moneyline bet, but it will still give you some profit if the fighter wins. To identify an underdog, look for a minus symbol in front of their moneyline odds. The best MMA underdogs tend to be more experienced, with higher win percentages and better KO/TKO and submission rates than their opponents.
In-play MMA betting is another great option for bettors looking to take advantage of the sport’s volatility. Unlike other more established sports, such as soccer or basketball, where players compete 32 or 82 times per year respectively, the average UFC fighter only fights two to three times a year. This small sample size makes it harder for bookmakers to build up significant historical data on each fighter, resulting in inefficient prices that can be exploited by keen bettors.
In-play MMA betting also gives bettors the chance to make live bets during each round of a fight, which is more exciting and allows them to make more informed bets than pre-fight odds. However, it’s important to note that live betting odds are determined by algorithms and traders that can fail to see the bigger picture, so be wary of placing bets on results based solely on stats. For example, Edson Barboza boasts a 77% takedown defence rate and a 48% accuracy in his career, yet Khabib Nurmagomedov was able to dominate him in their fight, resulting in a 1.26 closing price for the underdog.