Your handy guide for how to start betting with FanDuel Sportsbook, including answering some frequently asked questions.
If you’re late to the party, Boardroom and FanDuel recently announced a multi-year, exclusive partnership that will feature a medley of multimedia content and make FanDuel Boardroom’s official sportsbook partner.
While the news is exhilarating, so is the surging world of sports betting. Consider this guide a walkthrough for those who want extra guidance surrounding this emerging phenomenon.
What Is FanDuel Sportsbook?
FanDuel is home to America’s No. 1 sportsbook. Either by logging into their website or downloading their mobile app, fans of all types can place bets on their favorite sport, team, and player. Additionally, earnings can be deposited into a bank account in as little to three to five business days.
How to Access FanDuel
Participants can download the FanDuel Sportsbook app onto any Apple or Android device. Fans can also create an account, verify their identity, and place bets directly in their web browser.
Now let’s take a look at the fundamentals of sports betting to get you started.
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Sports Betting 101 with FanDuel Sportsbook
The following information will teach new bettors how to read a betting line. This information is vital for first-time bettors looking to make their way into the mobile betting world.
Reading the Odds
Learning how to read the odds can be scary — but Boardroom has you covered.
Betting odds reveal how much money a bettor can earn per $100 wager. The plus sign (+) and minus sign (-) are shown in front of the number deterimine the potential payout of your stake.
Plus odds (+) show how much money a bettor can win if they place a $100 wager.
For example, let’s say that the Detroit Pistons are underdogs against the Boston Celtics by +460. Placing a $100 bet on the Pistons to win would earn a $460 payout.
Minus odds (-) show how much money a bettor would need to wager to win $100. Using the same example, we’ll see that the Boston Celtics are -190 favorites to beat the Pistons.
If the Celtics win the game, placing a $190 wager would earn you $100.
Different Types of Bets on FanDuel
Betting can be as simple as choosing a team to win a game, but it doesn’t have to be. There are various ways to bet on FanDuel, and we’ll explain them all.
Spread Betting
Betting the spread places a wager on a team’s margin of victory or defeat.
Think about it like a little kid playing basketball against an older sibling. They might play to 11 points, but since the odds of the younger kid winning isn’t that high, the game might start with him or her already having a 2-0 lead. Starting the game 2-0 doesn’t guarantee a win, but it sure helps the odds.
The favorite team will hold the minus (-) sign, while the underdog has plus (+) odds. If you bet on the favorite, the team has to win by however many points are shown.
For example, if the Brooklyn Nets are favorites over the New York Knicks by -9.5, they’d have to win the game by at least 10 points to win the bet.
The underdog team can either “cover the spread” or win outright to win the bet. That means to win by betting on the underdog, the underdog would have to either win the game or lost by fewer points than the spread.
For example, let’s say the Knicks are +9.5 against the Nets. If the Knicks lose by fewer than 9 points, the bettor wins. Of course, the bettor wins as well if the Knicks win the game outright.
Moneyline
The moneyline is the most conventional way to approach a bet. A bettor has to choose who they think will win a game, match, or contest. The margin of points doesn’t matter, nor do any other details about the game. The bottom line is the outcome of the competition determines the winner.
For example, let’s say the Chicago Bulls (-480) are favored to win over the Sacramento Kings (+380.) If you place a $480 bet on the Bulls moneyline, all they have to do is win for you to land an additional $100.
Total Points Bets
In a total points bet, you can place a wager on the combined score being either over or under a specific number.
For example, let’s say the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes are playing the Florida Panthers and FanDuel sets the line for total goals scored at 4.5. Then, let’s say the Hurricanes win 3-2, meaning five total goals were scored.
If you had bet over 4.5 at -150, you’d win $100 for a $150 bet.
Now let’s say the final score was 2-0, meaning there were only two total goals scored. If you had bet under 4.5 at +110, you’d win $110 by placing a $100 bet with the correct outcome.
Prop Bet
Proposition bets, better known as props, are specific (and often whimsical) bets that a sportsbook releases that don’t necessarily have to do with the outcome of a game. The Super Bowl’s seemingly infinite prop bet offerings are the best example of how wild they can truly become.
For example, a prop could be as simple as determining how many yards a starting quarterback will throw for, or whether he’ll throw an interception. However, it could be as fun as guessing how many seconds it will take to sing the National Anthem or which flavor of Gatorade will spill out of the cooler onto the winning team’s coach.
Parlays
A parlay is several individual bets woven together that all must win to earn any payout. These bets can go across borders and don’t have to be confined to one particular sport or league.
Let’s combine a few examples that we’ve used so far:
Let’s say you’re feeling confident and parlay the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and Carolina Hurricanes to win via moneyline. The odds of that happening are much slimmer than placing each bet individually, thus massively increasing the earnings if each bet hits.
To cash out a parlay, you have to be correct on each outcome. If a single outcome doesn’t happen in the parlay, you’re left empty-handed.
FanDuel Same Game Parlay
FanDuel is known for its Same Game Parlays. This is when you can combine several different bets from the same game for massive winnings. An example would be picking a team to win, selecting the number of points one player will score, and choosing the number of rebounds another player will earn in a single game.
However, like a regular parlay, each outcome must happen, or you lose the parlay.
Where is FanDuel Sportsbook Available?
FanDuel Sportsbook is available in each of the below states, including, at long last, New York.
- Pennsylvania
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
If you ever forget where you can play, you can always check FanDuel’s map for the official, ever-growing list.
The overall legalization of sports betting is happening at a rapid pace. However, final decisions are made at a state level. So if your state currently doesn’t support FansDuel Sportsbook, make sure to keep up with the legalization of sports betting in your area.
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Boardroom Betting Disclaimer
Boardroom does not predict the outcomes of sporting events for readers, so the information in this column shall not be considered betting advice. We provide the knowledge and tools a bettor needs to understand types of bets, odds, and facts to make wagers based on their judgment on the FanDuel Sportsbook platform. All bettors assume their own risk.
