PK is an abbreviation for Pick’Em or Pk’Em, a sports betting term that refers to spread betting, where neither team receives any points (or has any removed). This is because the sportsbook doesn’t view either team as the favorite, and both have equal chances of winning.
In this guide, we introduce you to everything you need to know about PK in betting, what it means, how it works, and which sports it applies to. We also offer you several handy tips to help you navigate this betting style. So, let’s dive in.
What Does PK Mean in Betting?
PK or Pick’Em is a wager relating to spread or handicap betting. Point spreads are one of the most popular betting lines offered by the best online sportsbooks. In the case where a sports match has a definite favorite and a clear underdog, a betting site will add or subtract points from one or both teams to even the playing field and provide more impressive odds.
However, a Pick’Em is just as the name suggests, where the bookie feels there is no definite favorite and both teams have an equal chance of winning the game, leaving it for bettors to pick the team they predict will win without insight from the sportsbook. Here, the spread is zero, and it essentially becomes a moneyline bet, where bettors select the team they predict will win outright. However, in this instance, if the game you are betting on ends in a draw, the sportsbook will refund your stake as it is regarded as a push at +0 or -0 on the spread.
Handy Tip:
If you want to learn more about spread or handicap betting, then you can read our informative guide.
How Do You Read PK Sports Betting Odds
While PK in betting means that the point spread is zero and that the two opposing teams are relatively evenly matched, often one team is still slightly favored. To know which team that is, it means reading the odds the sportsbook assigns to the two sides.
Generally, spread betting odds sit at around -110, although this number can shift slightly. When reading the odds for a PK game, the favorite will be the one with the minus sign. But in the instance where both teams have a minus sign (-), the team with the higher number is the favorite.
Handy Tip:
To learn more about the + and – in sports betting and how to read odds, check out our article.
A PK Betting Example
So what does a PK bet look like, and how does it work?
For instance, if we look at the game shown in the example below, the match between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings is listed as a PK betting game. Here, the odds are as follows:
- Golden State Warriors: PK -112
- Sacramento Kings: PK -108
What this means is that to win back $100 on the Golden State Warriors, you’ll need to put down $112, but to back the Sacramento Kings, you’d only need to wager $107 to win back $100, making the Warriors the favorite.
PK Betting – How It Works with Different Betting Lines
A PK in sports betting affects some of the betting lines. In addition to altering a spread bet, it can cause some inconsistencies in parlay wagering too. So, let’s take a closer look.
What Does PK Mean in Spread Betting
When it comes it Pick’Em betting, a spread typically becomes a moneyline in most sports like basketball, football, baseball, and hockey. This happens because the spread is zero, which means you are really only betting on which team will win the game instead of by how many points. As a result, the spread odds and the moneyline odds will typically be the same, although, in some instances, they can differ slightly.
However, for some sports, like soccer, where there is a potential for a match to end in a draw or tie, the odds for the moneyline will generally be higher; this is because if the game ends in a draw or the opposing team wins, you lose your stake. But if you bet on the spread and the game ends in a tie, it is regarded as a push, and you receive your stake back.
Parlay Betting Using PK
In a situation where a bettor has a parlay wager down on a spread bet that is a PK, and the game pushes (ends in a draw), that leg of the parlay will be removed, but the rest of the wager will stand. As a result, the sportsbook doesn’t regard the bet as a loss. Instead, the leg with the push is removed, which lowers the odds. The only way a bettor can lose a parlay is if they lose one of the remaining games that make up the other legs. In other words, a bettor won’t lose their wager because of a parlay betting PK.
What is the Difference Between PK and Draw No Bet?
A PK and a draw-no bet are essentially the same. However, the term draw-no bet is used for soccer betting, while PK refers to all sports. In both instances, if the team you bet on wins, you win your bet. However, if your team draws, you receive your stake back.
Sports and PK in Betting
The best offshore sportsbooks and top regulated betting sites will have PK betting on most sports. Below, we look at how a pick’em wager differs in various sports.
PK in Soccer Betting
In most sports the scores are high and generally don’t end in a draw, and if they do, there is usually overtime. In contrast, soccer games often end in a tie, and unless it is a knockout tournament, no overtime is played.
As a result, PK spread bets that end in a tie result in what bookies call a push, and a bettor’s stake is then refunded. It is important to remember that while for basketball and football, the PK and moneyline are often identical, in soccer betting, a PK spread and a PK moneyline will have different odds.
This is because a soccer PK moneyline wager has three possible outcomes, win, lose, and tie, where two of the outcomes will see them lose money. However, in a PK spread, there is only one outcome where a bettor won’t receive money, and this is if their team loses. If their team draws, they receive their stake back, and if their team wins, they earn a profit.
PK in Football Betting
In football betting, the games generally end in one team winning and the other losing. As a result, PK sports betting on the NFL often sees the odds for a PK spread and a PK moneyline looking identical or very similar. This is because the NFL betting sites don’t see either team as a firm favorite, and both have a chance of winning. However, by looking at the moneyline odds, bettors can sometimes get an indication of which team the sportsbook is edging towards as the favorite, as this team will have a higher number as their moneyline odds.
PK in Basketball Betting
Basketball, like football, can have a pairing of two teams where the NBA betting sites don’t feel there is an outright favorite, and the game could swing either way. In this instance, the spread is 0, and bettors can pick the team they predict will win, as there is no handicap placed on either team. Additionally, like with football betting, taking a look at the moneyline can sometimes give an indication of which team the sportsbook is considering as a likely favorite.
How to Sign Up With a Sportsbook With PK in Betting
Bettors wanting to try out a PK in betting will first need to sign up with a sportsbook, claim their welcome bonus, and deposit funds before they can place their wager. Luckily, these steps are quick and easy, as you can see in our short guide that follows. While we use BetOnline as our example, bettors can use these steps to help them sign up, even if they are using BetOnline alternatives, as most sportsbooks offer a similar registration process.
Step One – Register with BetOnline
Search for and then open the BetOnline website and click the green “Join” button. Then, complete your details on the registration form that opens, and choose a username and password, before clicking “Create Account.”
Step Two – Get Verified
Once you have registered your account, BetOnline will email you a verification link which you must click to activate your new profile. Then, use your new username and password to sign back into BetOnline and access your account.
Step Three – Make Your First Deposit
Next, you’ll need to fund your account so that you can place PK bets. So, click the blue “Banking” button on the homepage. Then, pick your payment method from the dropdown menu, and fill in the amount you wish to deposit. Next, type your BetOnline promo code “BOL1000” in the promo code box provided to claim your sign-up bonus. Finally, click “Deposit Now” and follow the prompts to make your payment.
Step Four – Choose Your Sport
Click on the “Sports” tab on the BetOnline homepage. Then, select the sport you want to place a wager on, for example, soccer. Next, from the options available for this sport, select the league and PK match you want to put your money on.
Step Five – Place Your Wager
Once you have selected the game, click on the appropriate line to populate your bet slip with the relevant details. Next, type in the amount you want to put down on your bet slip. Then, click “place bet,” and you’re done!
Tips for Using PK in Betting
Predicting the winner when PK betting is tricky as there is no definitive favorite, and the sportsbook ultimately leaves it up to the bettor to decide, giving very little insight into which team they think will be the outright winner. However, having a few tips can make it easier to choose the team more likely to win, so take a look below for our top tips.
Tip One: Consider the Stats and Form
One of the first things a bettor should consider when placing PK bets is the stats and form of the two opposing teams. Additionally, if possible, bettors should look as far back as the teams’ last six games, checking both home and away form while considering which of these the PK match will be. Another aspect to consider is what sort of teams they were up against with each win or loss so far, and then think about the quality of the team they are up against in the PK.
Bettors will discover it is easy to get their hands on this information. For instance, they can visit the official NBA website to get the latest basketball stats, while those for football can be found on the NFL website.
Tip Two: Check out Head-to-Head Records
In addition to form being important, it is also a good idea to check out how these two teams fare when going head-to-head. Is there a side that usually wins? How do they oppose one another’s strengths and weaknesses? And are there any new players or injuries to be aware of?
Tip Three: Keep Up-To-Date on News
Several aspects can influence a team’s performance. For instance, a top player may have recently retired, and their replacement is still finding their feet within the team. Other aspects like injuries or players coming back from an injury can impact the team and the outcome of the game. Keeping abreast of these developments can help bettors place more accurate bets.
Tip Four: Check Out the Moneyline Odds
In a game where there are only two possible outcomes, like basketball, football, or tennis, it can be handy to look at the moneyline odds. Here, you can sometimes catch a glimpse of which team the sportsbook predicts is the favorite, and sometimes, you can also find better odds here than on a PK spread. However, keep in mind that soccer where there is a three-way outcome for the moneyline, will have different odds to the PK spread, so this may not work for sports like soccer.
Tip Five: Don’t Place Your Wagers Too Early
A last-minute change to a line-up or the early return of a player from an injury or even a player getting ill can affect the odds, causing them to fluctuate. As a result, placing a bet too early could potentially see you losing money, so it is always best to give a PK bet some time before staking your money. We recommend waiting until the day of the game to place your bets, rather than wagering a PK bet three days before the game, and possibly having the odds change drastically.
Which Site Offers the Best PK Betting?
A PK in betting is where the sportsbook sees no definitive favorite and leaves it to the bettors to pick their team to win. Typically, this wager applies to point spreads, where the handicap is set at zero, and in most cases, offers the same odds as the moneyline, except for in sports like soccer, where the moneyline has three possible outcomes.
