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Halftime Betting
by Jerald of Predictem.com
The halftime wager has been increasing in popularity the past few years. This is a wager that is made at the half and it is graded based solely on the outcome of the second half and overtime. The halftime bet is used by many gamblers as a hedge to their original wager that they made. If you are watching the game you can sometimes get a feel for the game and the half-time wager allows you to bet on your feelings about how the game is going.
Here is an example of halftime betting:
The line on the Vikings/Bears game where the Bears are favored by 7 points with a total of 39. The halftime score is Chicago 17 Minnesota 0. The second half line comes out as Chicago pick with a total of 17.
Here are some options that you can make for your halftime wagers:
If you originally have a bet on Chicago you can:
1. Bet on Minnesota at pick for the 2nd half. If Minnesota outscores the Chicago by less than 10 you would win both bets. If Minnesota outscores the Bears by more than 10 you would win your halftime bet and lose your original bet. If the Bears outscore the Vikings then you would lose your halftime bet and win your original bet.
2. Knowing that the only way the Bears will not cover is if the Vikings score a lot of points you could bet the over for the 2nd half total. In this situation if the Bears can at least get a field goal then there is no way you could lose both your original bet and your 2nd half bet.
3. Since the Bears have a large lead you may feel that they will be conservative and will run the ball a lot to keep the clock moving. Because of this you may want to play under the total of 17 for the 2nd half.
4. You may just want to pass and assume that you have a great chance of winning your original wager.
Another great hedging opportunity presents itself if you have an original wager on the under 39 for the game. Since there were 17 points scored in the first half and the 2nd half total is 17 you can play the over and if the final score ends up on 35, 36, 37 or 38 you would win both of your wagers while on risking the juice since you are guaranteed of winning at least one of the wagers.
There are also players that don’t use the halftime play as a hedge. Some people may want to get a feel for the game before placing a wager so they wait until halftime to make a play. This can present some great opportunities if you are patient and do not force plays.
The reason for this is that many times the Sportsbook will set a 2nd half line to discourage those that are hedging. This can give you great value on your 2nd half wagers.
An example of this using the same line from above but now the Vikings have a 14-7 halftime lead. The 2nd half line on this game is set at Chicago -8. If you think the Vikings are going to hang on for the win you can grab the 8 points or if you think that the Bears are going to come back and win you can play the Bears minus the 8 points.
One of the drawbacks to halftime betting is that you have to be available during a limited window of time and you do not have a lot of time to study and think about your wager. Whatever you decide to do just remember to bet with your head, not over it.
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