What is a Prop Bet? – Proposition Betting Explained

Dan Fitch

Dan Fitch

Pro punter

A writer and editor for some of the top names in the gambling industry for nearly 20 years, Dan also works as a freelance sports journalist for publications and websites such as ESPN, FourFourTwo and LiveScore.

All posts by Dan Fitch

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A prop bet is a type of wager where a proposition is stated and punters have to bet on whether it will happen or not. We’re going to explain everything that you need to know about these type of bets, so that you can confidently place one yourself.

How Do Prop Bets Work

How these type of bets work becomes more self-explanatory when you know that the ‘prop’ is short for ‘proposition’. These wagers are popular on online sportsbooks in America, but the term crops up on UK betting sites every now and then.

Proposition bets see a proposition being made and the punter then has to bet on whether it will happen or not. Generally, these propositions are based around the statistics that sport throws up with such regularity.

Online betting sites provide a wide range of props, across different sports. The sports that tend to feature the most bets on props are those where there is a lot of scoring being done, allowing the oddsmakers to really drill into the statistics and come up with inventive wagers as a result.

Sports fans can bet on the performance of the teams involved, or that of an individual player. The only thing that limits the variety of prop bet that are available is imagination and bookies are always working on enticing props to trump the opposition.

Prop Bet Examples

Now that you better understand the prop bet meaning, here are some examples of the types of props that you can find at bookmakers.

Game Prop

Game props focus on the game as a whole. Betting on these sort of markets allow punters to not have to worry on the result and instead look towards another facet of the game. Examples of game prop wagers include over/under a total points total in American Football, or which team will win the coin toss in cricket. There are all sorts of types of prop bet which are focused on the game as a whole, when enable bettors to find an alternative angle to make profit.

Player Prop

There are lots of opportunities for prop betting which are centred around individual players. Examples of player props can be found in just about every team sport. In basketball betting, you can wager on whether a player will score over a certain amount of points. Football matches feature bets on whether a player will score a goal, or make an assist. Betting on the performance of a player, rather than the game as a whole, or a team, adds a whole new dimension.

Team Prop

You can also find plenty of props that are based around the performances of one of the teams in a contest. Again, this gives punters another angle on which to place bets, that doesn’t involve the result. Examples of team props include how many shots a team might have on target during a football match, or how many points an NBA team might score during a certain quarter. Search around these sort of betting props and you can often find some extra value.

Novelty Prop

Bookmakers can really unleash their creativity and imagination with exotic props that bring a sense of humour to a sporting occasion. Novelty prop bets will often attract media attention for sportsbooks, which is great publicity. For this reason you’ll often find these sort of fun prop bets are provided for huge events. The Super Bowl is one such example, where you can find novelty props for how long the national anthem will take to be sung, or which company will have the first commercial aired during the broadcast.

Most Popular Sports for Props

Having looked at some prop bet examples, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the sports where props are most commonly found.

Major League Baseball Props

There are many baseball leagues around the world, but none come close to the quality and popularity of Major League Baseball, which is often shortened to MLB. Baseball is a sport that is awash with different statistics, so the stat player has plenty of betting options when it comes to MLB. Events in a baseball game that you can enjoy a prop on include how many home runs a certain player will get, or the winning margin in the match. With an incredibly busy schedule of games across an MLB season, there are no shortage of prop odds available for baseball bettors.

Basketball & NBA Props

Basketball is a hugely popular sport across the globe. Again, though there are many leagues to bet on, it is in America where the highest level of competition exists. The NBA ranks amongst the world’s biggest major sports league competitions and it is a paradise for prop bettors. There are huge range of NBA player props bets for every game. You can bet on how many points a basketball will score, the amount of rebounds and assists. There are also plenty of bets on games and the team performances available. Away from the NBA, college basketball prop bets are also very popular.

American Football & NFL Props

Another big US sport is American football. Unlike baseball and basketball, the majority of the action takes place in the USA. Professionally, that means the NFL, but bets on college athletes playing football are also big business. You can find almost as many college football prop opportunities as are available for NFL games. Popular football props include if a player will score a touchdown, the distance of the longest field goal kicked and over/under rushing yards.

NHL Ice Hockey Props

There are four major sports in the US and ice hockey completes the quartet. The NHL is the most popular league, for what is another example of a sport that is played around the world, but where the highest level of competition exists in North America. While not quite so suited to props as baseball, basketball and American football, there are still plenty of opportunities for ice hockey fans. Common examples of an ice hockey prop bet include bets on players to be first goalscorer, or their total shots, while you can also bet on total goals for the game and individual teams.

Other Sports

Though it is American sports that come to mind in this area, there are plenty of examples of prop bets from other sports. Popular prop bets for football/soccer include over/under 2.5 goals, which team will take the first corner kick and whether players will receive yellow cards. Regardless of whether it’s a Champions League, or non league, you should be able to find plenty of football props.

Cricket also lends itself to props. Punters can back bets which drill into the statistics, whether that’s based on run scoring or wickets. Formula 1 is perhaps a team sport that seems less likely to have props available, but there are a growing number. You can bet on which driver will be the first to retire their car, which teams will have both drivers finish in the points, or which position the winning driver will start the race from.

Some individual sports also feature props. So, with golf betting for example, you can wager on whether there will be a hole in one. With tennis, you’re able to bet on the total sets, or points.

Even boxing betting has props, such as the method of victory, or if the fight will go the distance or not. They really are everywhere if you look hard enough.

Pros & Cons of Prop Betting

There are certainly upsides and drawbacks when it comes to prop bets. We think that the advantages outweigh any disadvantages, but in the spirit of fairness, here are the pros and cons as we see them.

Best Bookie for Props

It’s a given that a bookmaker will offer moneyline odds for an event, but props are one of the areas which can make a sportsbook really stand out. Variety is important, as are the quality of the prop bet odds. Props are something of an American speciality, but UK bookmakers now provide plenty of prop options for the sports beloved by Brits, with Bet Builders giving punters the opportunity to craft their own unique wagers. BetMGM give you the best of both worlds. They are a huge name in the States and have now launched a sportsbook aimed at the UK market.

Conclusion

The question of what is a prop bet has been comprehensively answered and you should now be confident of placing some yourself. Take the time to try out some of these type of wagers and before long you may find that you have your own favourite personal prop bet.

FAQs

Dan Fitch

Pro punter

Dan Fitch

Pro punter

A writer and editor for some of the top names in the gambling industry for nearly 20 years, Dan also works as a freelance sports journalist for publications and websites such as ESPN, FourFourTwo and LiveScore.

All posts by Dan Fitch