A unit in sports betting is a concept which gets thrown around a lot, particularly by tipsters for certain sports. However, what is a unit in betting, how much is it, and what can you do with units in betting to maximise your enjoyment? Those questions are all answered below in our unit betting guide which will ensure you can gamble and manage your funds more efficiently.
What is a Unit in Betting?
A betting “unit” can mean many things to many different bettors. This might seem like an obscure way of beginning with this concept, but unlike many terms, a unit is very flexible. Fundamentally, a unit is a block figure which a bettor regularly places on their favorite bets. A one-unit bet would be placed on a fancy of ordinary proportion, while you may place a two-unit bet on something you are very confident about happening.
To visualise this concept, let us take a look at one of the best golf betting sites, BetOnline, who have a futures market on the PGA Championship golf tournament below. Our bettor might have two main selections he believe will win the tournament, Jordan Spieth and recent Masters champion Jon Rahm. With Spieth having the bigger odds and seemingly less of a chance, it is likelier you would place a bet worth one unit on him. For Rahm, who is the tournament favorite, they are probably going to want to place a slightly bigger bet to match his chance, perhaps one worth two units.
The unit can be worth anything that makes you feel most in control. For some it can be as little as $5, which would mean, in the above example, placing $5 on Spieth to win, and $10 on Rahm. More financially secure bettors may stick to a unit of $20, or $50 though; it completely depends on your staking plans and how you bet effectively.
Unit Betting Explained – How Much is a Unit in Betting?
As you have now read, a unit in sports betting is exactly what you want it to be and can also be very versatile. If after a month, you have done very well and claimed a number of winnings on the best offshore sportsbooks, then you may feel emboldened to up how much one unit is, for instance, from $10 to $20.
Equally, units are extremely useful for those recommending bets to others. The most popular sports tipsters will not simply suggest you put $200 on a certain team winning an event, as they know some of their audience will not be capable or confident enough of placing that much money on a single event, even if they themselves will be placing that much money on.
Instead, a tipster will recommend a staking plan via how many units instead. A regular tip will be one unit of their followers’ funds, while they may go up to five or even ten units for really confident bets they believe will definitely come in. That way, everyone can follow that to their own unit degree, as opposed to betting beyond their means.
Handy Tip: Unit betting can be done on a variety of different bet types. It is worth checking out our guides for more help and advice on futures betting too.
Best Sports For Unit Betting
Any sport can be used as a template for unit betting on. However, the nature of some sports may lend themselves better to lower units worth of bets compared to others. Take a look below at our recommendations for unit bets on certain sports betting markets, as it will help determine what you do with your bets on your favorite spots.
Football
One of the prime opportunities for potentially increasing the units you stake comes with the best football betting sites, especially in money line markets for one off matches. With most markets, including spread handicap and total markets, forcing a player to choose one side or the other, this limits the odds of both sides. Therefore, if you favour one over the other, you are likely to do so quite strongly and therefore look to place a higher unit bet on your choice.
Basketball
A similarly great sport for betting with units comes on NBA betting sites. Once again, there being only two options per match may ensure you stake higher in terms of your units, unless looking at futures markets. There are also college basketball betting sites to consider too, meaning there are a mass of options to begin your unit betting on within the world of basketball.
Soccer
Across the pond, soccer is another sport which is good for betting with units. Individual soccer matches do include the possibility of a tie, whereas that is significantly less likely in basketball or football. However, you can still confidently stake to higher units if you wish, while there are also more futures options where it may feel safer to stick with one-unit bets.
Golf
As used as our example earlier on in this page, golf betting sites provide an opportunity to mix your unit bets up. With over 150 players in every tournament except the Masters, the odds you get about any player winning an event are miles greater than you see in matches in the sports listed above. You are therefore likelier to place bets on multiple players, and you may well fancy some to win more than others. This ensures you can place bets worth different units on the same event.
Horse Racing
Racebooks are the most common markets where tipsters will lend their hand, as horse racing is the most popular sport where you will fid them plying their trade. The best horse racing betting sites will have dedicated racebooks for you to find all the races you could bet on around the world. Once again, having a dedicated unit betting plan can go a long way in racing, with the odds in every race more generous than team sport events unless there is a heavy favorite.
Handy Tip: The above present just a few examples of the sports which are good to place unit bets on. However, it is also worth checking out the best MLB betting sites, as they will also have an array of opportunities for you to get started.
How to Start Unit Betting Online
Betting with units on sports is very worthwhile and you can start doing this instantly at one of our top recommended online sportsbooks, BetOnline. Follow the five steps below to sign up, and get going with your new method of betting.
Step One – Register with BetOnline
BetOnline’s website can be found via a quick internet search. Once you click onto their site for the first time, the “Join Now” button can be seen in the top right hand corner of the page. Go there, and fill in your key details to begin creating an account.
Step Two – Verify Your Account
Your account will be registered instantly, but to begin using it, you will need to verify that you are real. A link will be sent to the email address used to sign up for the account in the first place. Click on this in order to verify yourself.
Step Three – Make your Deposit
After this, you can make your first deposit into your BetOnline account. This can be done through a Visa or Mastercard debit card as most players will use, though for crypto users, there are 16 different options, ranging from the more common ones such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, to more alternative options like Shiba Inu and Ripple. Whichever is your favorite deposit method, BetOnline should have you covered.
Step Four – Choose your Sport
Now that your account is funded, find the sports tab on BetOnline to place your first bet using the units you have set for yourself. Players are spoilt for choice on BetOnline, so you will almost certainly find a market that fits your eye.
Step Five – Place your Wager
However much your unit is, you can now place your bet in your Bet Slip on the right hand side of the bet. After this bet concludes, you can monitor it in order to use it again for next time!
How to Determine a Betting Unit
A unit in sports betting helps to promote and encourage safer gambling by players on any online sportsbooks. With so many betting markets to choose from, it is possible to get overwhelmed by options. Having a clear staking plan by unit betting on only your favorite sports can be an excellent step towards remaining in control.
It can be worth looking at safe gambling resources such as NCP Gambling who have programs and advice on staying safe and secure when betting on sports online. Being armed with all the information and dangers is always important when betting online, and this resource will enable you to set proper limits for your unit stakes.
Tips For Units in Sports Betting
Betting with units on sports can be a novel concept even for those with plenty of experience of online gambling. Our tips below help outline the best ways to make the most of unit betting to help you bet effectively and joyfully.
1. One Unit is Most Important
Setting the limit for one unit worth of bets is comfortably the most important thing to do when starting out with this method. If you get this wrong, then you may not be in control of your betting funds for very long.
2. Underestimate Don’t Overestimate
It is far better for players to underestimate what their base amount for a one-unit bet should be. Even though this may not be as profitable to start with if you are winning regularly, it is far safer should you begin to lose. It is easier to increase how much a unit is worth when you are winning that decreasing it when you are losing.
3. Not Every Bet is One Unit
If there are certain bets you are more confident with, then it is very rational to place two or more units worth of bets on that choice. Unit betting does not mean restricting yourself to an exact amount every time.
4. Follow Advice
To get used to staking bets with units, it may be worth following a tipster’s advice on a certain sport, and listen to the units they are placing on recommended bets.
5. Stick to Your Rules
It is worth pursuing unit betting, as it will pay off in the long run whether you are winning or losing. Betting online is much more fun when you have control over your gambling finances, and having a formula will almost certainly help you do that.
