Any prop bet definition becomes simpler once you know that the ‘prop’ is short for ‘proposition’. Making a proposition related to a sports stat, you can then bet on whether it will happen or not. An example would be a MLB player prop on how many hits a certain player might make.

What is a Prop Bet? – Team & Player Prop Bets Explained

Q: How to place a prop bet?

Just visit one of our recommended sportsbooks and open an account. Browse through the sporting events on offer, find one that interests you and take a look at the props section. Pick a prop, decide upon your stake and confirm the bet.

Q: What is prop short for?

The betting term ‘prop’ is short for ‘proposition’. With prop betting lines, the proposition relates to a statistic within a sporting event. You can then bet on whether it will happen or not.

Q: When are prop bets released for games?

Online sports betting sites will often open their coverage of a sports game with just a limited range of markets. These will be the key ones such as moneyline, the spread and totals. Look out for few game prop bets available ahead of time, but the full range won’t be there until nearer the event.

Q: How do I read prop bet odds?

Prop betting odds work in the same way as any other type. With the American odds format there are favorites which have a minus sign and underdogs which feature a plus sign. The odds for a favorite shows how much you need to bet to win $100. Underdog odds show how much you’d win from a $100 bet.

Q: What are exotic props?

They are fun exotic prop bets which don’t necessarily relate to the outcome of the sporting event in question. They are popular for special events such as the Super Bowl, where you can bet on how long the National Anthem will last for.

Q: How do you win a prop bet?

Select a sport of competition to specialize in, such as NBA player prop bets. Do plenty of research so that you are aware of issues like injury news, or weather conditions, which can impact performance.

Q: Why should I bet on props?

Props are generally based around some sort of statistical occurrence in a sporting contest. Research the statistical data out there, as this helps you find good betting opportunities.

A prop bet is a shortened version of ‘proposition bet’. A proposition is made that refers to something that could occur in a sporting event and you can bet on whether it will happen or not. We’re going to explore the topic of what is a prop bet so that you completely understand how they work.

How Do Prop Bets Work?

Most sporting events are quite literally a numbers game. The contest can be broken down into a large number of statistical elements, which can be wagered upon at offshore sportsbooks online.

Let’s take a football game as an example. The core stats make up the three key markets that lead the list of betting markets. There’s the result, which can be bet on with the moneyline. The margin of victory provides the spread and then by adding up the scores of the two teams you have the total points market.

Delve deeper and you can find the type stats that are used for bets on props. An example might be, how many accumulated yards will a quarterback pass? Or how many field goals will a team score in the first quarter? Or will a player score a touchdown?

Props can be broken down into different categories as follows:

Game Props – relating to the game or match as a whole.
Team Props – concerned with the performance of a certain team.
Player Props – based on individual player performances.
Exotic Props – available for popular sports events like the Super Bowl and formed around extraneous factors unrelated to actual sporting outcomes.

What is a Prop Bet in Major Sports?

Now that prop bet meaning has been explained, we’re going to take you through some prop bet examples for major sports. You’ll discover props based on the game as a whole, ones based around a team performance and what is a player prop bet.

NFL Prop Bets

Let’s examine some of the most popular and common NFL betting props that you’ll find amongst football lines.

Total Points – What will be the accumulated number of points score?
Total Touchdowns – Place a wager on the total number of touchdowns.
Total Field Goals – How many field goals will be scored in a game?
Total Interceptions – Bet on the total number of interceptions made by both teams.
Total Sacks – Predict the combined number of sacks made in a game.
Touchdown and Field Goals – Bet on if a team will score a touchdown and field goal in a game, half or quarter.
First Team to Score – Which team will score the first points in a game?
First Score Method – Wager on whether the first points in the game come from a touchdown, field goal or another method.
Highest Scoring Quarter – What will be the highest scoring quarter of a game?
Highest Scoring Half – Bet on what will be the highest scoring half of the game.
Winning Margin – With this NFL prop bet you select which team will win and the margin of that victory.
Half Time/Full Time – Predict the half time result and full time result to win this bet.

NFL Player Prop Bets

With football players executing very specific and often different on-field roles to one another, oddsmakers are spoilt for choice when creating props. Here are some of the most notable NFL player props that are available.

Anytime Touchdown Scorer – Will a player score a touchdown during the game?
Multiple Touchdown Scorer – As well as a 1+ bet on touchdowns, you can bet on players to score 2+ touchdowns, 3+, etc.
First Touchdown – Bet on which player will score the first touchdown.
Last Touchdown – Who will score the last touchdown of a game?
Rushing Touchdowns – Bet on whether a player will score with a rushing touchdown.
Receiving Touchdown – Will a player score from a receiving touchdown?
Touchdown Passes – Wager on whether a quarter-back will throw a certain number of touchdown passes.
Passing Yards – You can get NFL player prop odds on how many accumulated yards a quarterback will be able to pass.
Passing Completion Percentage – Bet on the percentage of successful passes.
Total Interceptions – How many of a quarterback’s passes will be intercepted?
Rushing Yards – Place a wager on the total yards for this stat.
Longest Rush – Bet on the longest rush by a playing during a game.
Total Rush and Receiving Yards – The total combined yards for a back.
Receiving Yards – What will be the total receiving yards for a certain player.
Total Receptions – How many receptions will a player make in a game?
Longest Reception – Wager on the length of the longest reception from a player.
Full Sack – Bet on whether a certain player will record a full sack.
Total Kicking Points – You can bet on the number of kicking points recorded by a kicker.
Miss a Field Goal – Will a kicker miss an attempt during a game?

Super Bowl Prop Bets

No one puts on a show like the NFL with their end of season showpiece and sportsbooks respond with the following Super Bowl prop bet opportunities.

Coin Toss – Which team will win the coin toss before the game?
Length of National Anthem – Bet on how long it will take for the National Anthem to be sung at the Super Bowl.
First Commercial to Play – During the first commercial break, which company will have the first commercial on air.
Gatorade Color – A bucket of Gatorade is dumped on the winning coach and this bet allows you to predict the color.
Jersey of First Touchdown Scorer – Bet on what will be the jersey number of the scorer of the first touchdown.
To Score an Octopus – For regular season games you never know if there will there be an Octopus prop bet available, but you can guarantee it for the Super Bowl. A player must score a touchdown and then the subsequent two point conversion.

NBA Prop Bets

Every basketball game is rich with stats that lend themselves to prop bets. Here are some of the top NBA betting props that you can find at bookmakers.

Both teams to Score in First Minute – Bet on both teams to score in the first minute of the game.
Total Points Range – Wager on which of a range of points totals will be the accumulated score.
Total Points Odd/Even – Will the total points score be an odd or even number?
Highest Scoring Quarter/Half – With this NBA prop bet you wager on which quarter or half will see the most points.
Lowest Scoring Quarter/Half – Predict which quarter or half that will provide the most points.
Number of Quarters – Bet on the number of quarters that a team will win.
Race To – Different points totals will be available and you have to bet on which team will reach that score first.
Margin of Win – Bet on the team that will win and the margin of their victory.
Will the Game Go to Overtime – Will the scores the tied at the end of regulation time and the game go into overtime?
Largest Lead – Wager on what will be the size of any points lead during the game.

NBA Player Props

Of all the props that are based upon the performances of athletes, it is arguably NBA player prop bets that most dominate the wagering on a single sport.

Top Points Scorer – Who will score the most points in the game, half or quarter?
Total Points – Various markets will be available allowing you to bet on whether individual players will score a certain amount of points.
Player to Score the First Point – Pick out the player that will score the first point in the game.
First Rebound – Who will score the first rebound?
Total Rebounds – Bet on how many rebounds a player will score.
Rebounds Leader – Which player will score the more rebounds in the game?
Three Made Leader – Wager on which player will score the most three pointers.
First Three in the Game – Bet on which player will score the first three pointer.
Total Three Pointers – Numerous markets will allow you to bet on individual players to score a certain amount of three points.
Total 3 Points Shots – How many three point shots will a certain player make?
First Assist – Wager on who will score the first assist.
Assists Leader – NBA player prop odds are available on which player will score the mosts assists in the game.
Total Assists – Bet on an individual player to score over a certain number of assists.
Double-Double – Wager on whether a player will record double digits in two statistical categories.
Triple-Double – Same as above but the player must record double digits in three statistical categories.
Total Blocks – How many blocks will a player record?
Total Steals – Bet on the number of steals made by individual basketball players.
Total Turnovers – Wager on the total turnovers recorded by a player in the game.

MLB Prop Bets

Another sport where props are very popular is baseball. Here are some of the biggest MLB betting props that you will come across.

NRFI or YRFI – Will there be a run scored in the first innings or not.
Team to Score First Run – Pick out the team that will score the first run.
Total Runs – Predict the number of runs in the game.
Team Scoring First Wins Game – Will the team scoring the first run, go on to win the game?
First Scoring Play – Bet on whether the first scoring play will be one run, two, three or a Grand Slam.
Half Time/Full-time – Predict the result at the halfway mark and also the final result.
Total Hits – How many hits will be scored in a certain innings or the game as a whole.
Most Hits – One of the most popular MLB betting props is wagering on which team will score the most hits.
Winning Margin – Pick out the winner of the game and the margin of their victory.
Highest Scoring Inning – Which will be the highest scoring innings?
Extra Innings Required? – Bet on whether the scores will be tied at the end of regulation play and there will need to be any extra innings.

MLB Player Prop Bets

There are many MLB player props available. Here are some of the most common that you will find at sportsbooks.

Home Run – Bet on whether a player will score a home run.
First Home Run – Which player will score the first home run of the game?
Total Hits – Wager on how many hits a player will make.
Player to Record a RBI – RBI stands for runs batted in. You bet on the number of runs a player has scored by hitting a batted ball, that contributes to a run.
Total Bases – How many bases will a player record?
To Steal a Base – Bet on whether a player will steal a base.
Record a Single/Double – Wager on whether a certain player will record a single or double.
Total Hits, Runs and RBI – You can bet on the accumulated totals of these stats by a player.
Total Strikeouts – There are MLB player prop odds available for how many strikeouts that a player will record.
Total Pitcher Walks – Bet on the number of walks that will be attributed to a pitcher.
Total Pitcher Outs – How many times will a pitcher throw a ball that is out of reach of the batter.
Total Earned Runs – Wager on the runs scored on pitchers, not counting errors.

World Series Prop Bets

A baseball game doesn’t get bigger than the World Series. Here are some of the props that are available for MLB’s season finale.

First Team to Score – Which team will score the first goal of the World Series?
First Team to Reach x Runs – Bet on which team will be the first to record a certain amount of runs.
How Many Games – Predict how many games the World Series needs before reaching a winner.
Top Home Run Scorer – Bet on who will score the most home runs in the World Series.
Number of Home Runs – Wager on how many home runs will be scored over the course of the World Series games.
World Series MVP – Who will be named as the most valuable player of the World Series?

NHL Prop Bets

We conclude this section on the big US sports leagues with the NHL. Take a look at some of the most popular hockey prop bets.

Team to Score First Goal – Bet on which team will score the first goal of the match.
Both Teams to Score – Will both teams score in a certain period of the game?
Exact Goals Scored – Place a wager on the exact number of accumulated goals from both teams.
Highest Scoring Period – Which period will see the most goals scored?
Total Goals – Bet on the total number of goals for the game as a whole, or within a certain period.
Odd/Even Goals – Will the total number of goals be an odd or even number. This bet is available for the game and quarters.
Will the Game Go to Overtime – Wager on whether the game finishes tied and needs overtime.
Margin of Win – Bet on who will win the game and the margin of that victory.

NHL Player Prop Bets

Hockey fans love to bet on NHL player props. Here are some of the most common examples.

Goals Scored – Will a player score at anytime during the game? You can also bet on them scoring 2+, 3+ goals, etc.
First Scorer – Pick out the player that will score the first goal in a game.
Last Scorer – Bet on who will score the last goal.
Points – You can bet on the number of points that a player will score, which are formed by combining the amount of goals they will score and assists that they will provide.
Shots on Goal – Place a wager on the number of shots hat a certain player will have.
Assists – How many assists will a player provide?
Power Play Points – When a team has an advantage in numbers there is a power play and you can bet on how many points a player will score during that period.
Time on Ice – Wager on the total number of minutes that a player will spend on the ice during a game.
Saves – Bet on how many saves a certain goalkeeper makes.
Blocked Shots – How many shots will a player block during the game?

Best Prop Bets from Other Sports

Often associated with the major leagues of popular US sports, props are also available elsewhere. Let’s show you some examples of prop bets from other sports.

Soccer

The beautiful game is awash with proposition bets. Here are some of the most popular wagers that define prop betting meaning for soccer sportsbooks available online. These are a mix of examples of game prop wagers and player ones:

Anytime Goalscorer – Who will score the first goal?
First/Last Goalscorer – Bet on who will score the first or last goal.
Both Teams to Score – Will both teams score a goal during the match?
To Assist – Bet on whether a player will assist a goal.
Total Goals – Wager on the total number of goals such as over/under 2.5.
Total Corners – Predict how many corners there will be in a game.
Half-Time/Full-Time – Pick out the half-time result and then the full-time result.
Win to Nil – Will a team win the game without conceding a goal?
Shown a Card – Bet on whether a player receives a yellow (or red) card in a game.
Red Card – Will a sending off (red card) happen in the match?
Penalty – Wager on whether there’s a penalty in the game.

Tennis

We’ve focused on examples of team props, but individual sports also present lots of opportunities for props. Tennis is a good example and below you can see some of the most common props for that sport.

Any Set to Nil – Will a player win a set in the match without dropping a game?
Number of Sets – Place a wager on the number of sets played in the match.
Both Players to Win a Set – Will both players win a set?
Lose First Set – Bet on a player to lose the first set and go on to win the match.
Total Match Games – How many games will there be in the entire match?
Set With Most Games – Which set in the match will see the most games.
Total Games Won – How many games will each player win?
Odd/Even Total Games – Bet on whether the total number of games will be an odd number or an even number.
Service Breaks – Predict the number of service breaks made by a player.
Total Tie Breaks – Wager on the number of corners that there will be in the match.
Total Aces – How many aces will a single player, or both players, serve?

Combat Sports

Fighting sports such as MMA and boxing create great excitement. Let’s examine the types of prop bets that you can find in combat sports.

Method of Victory – Predict the winner of a boxing or MMA fight and how the bout ends. Will it be a knockout, submission, stoppage or points victory?
Round of Victory – Bet on what round a fight will end.
Round Groups – With certain rounds grouped together, you can bet on what phase that a fight will end.
Go the Distance – Will the fight go the full distance and to the judges’ scorecards?
Points Deduction – Place a wager on whether the referee will deduct points from one or both fighters.
Knockdowns – How many knockdowns will a fighter score in a fight?
Time Props – With MMA you can bet on the length of time that a fight will last.

Golf

Golf is a staple of online sportsbooks. Here are some of the most popular golf prop bets.

Top Region – Bet on the top player from a certain region in a tournament, such as the top American, or top European.
Winner’s Nationality – Place a wager on the nationality of the winner.
Top 5/10/20 – Bet on a player to finish in the top 5 places, or top 10, or top 20.
To Make the Cut – Will a certain player make the cut to go through to the next round of a tournament?
Head-to-Head – You can bet on which of two players does better in a certain round, or over the entire tournament.
Hole in One – Will there be a hole in one during a certain round, or the tournament as a whole?
Longest Drive – Who will record the longest drive during a golf event?
Most Birdies – Bet on the player that will score the most birdies.
Top Senior – Wager on which golfer over the age of 50 will fare best in a tournament.
Over-Under Par – Will an individual player finish over or under par?

Motorsports

Motorsports such as F1, IndyCar and NASCAR have a legion of devoted fans. Take a look at the range of motorsports props that are available.

Fastest Lap – Which driver will record the fastest lap time?
Margin of Win – Bet on the time margin of a win.
Head-to-Head – You bet on which of two drivers does best in the race.
Number of Retirements – How many drivers retire from the track and fail to finish the race?
To Finish – Bet on whether a driver will finish the race or have to retire.
Caution Flags – Wager on how many caution flags appear in a race.
Lead Changes – How many times will the lead change during the course of a race?
Will Both Team Members Score Points – In motorsports such as F1 where each team has two drivers, you can bet on both drivers to score points.

Pros & Cons of Prop Betting Explained

We wouldn’t be doing our job of explaining what is a prop bet without exploring the disadvantages of this type of wager, as well as the perks. Here are the pros and cons as we see them.

Pros:

Wide range of props for major US sports
Props increasingly available for other sports from across the world
Countless examples of player props opens up betting opportunities
Statistical data readily available to make informed bets

Cons:

Not a bet to make if you don’t have time for research
Novelty exotic props are something of a lottery

What is a Prop Bet Strategy That Works?

By now the question of what is a prop bet has been answered. Now that you understand the prop bets meaning, you may be considering placing such a wager yourself. Follow these betting strategies to boost your profitability.

Team News Matters

When it comes to player prop betting strategy, team news is hugely important. Make sure that you know of any injuries that might keep a player out, or if the coach has a reason to bench a player.

You don’t want to bet on a player performing in a certain way and the wager lost through lack of fitness, or some other issue. Equally, being aware of a key player being unavailable, could present the opportunity for a value prop bet.

Specialize

There are so many different prop bets across so many sports, that it would be impossible to do the sufficient research to be knowledgeable about them all. You need to specialize.

Maybe stick to a certain sport and study up on all the NFL player prop stats, or basketball prop bets if that’s more your thing. Better still, become a real expert on one particular type of prop, researching a particular stat thoroughly, so that you can instantly spot when there is an opportunity.

Don’t Take Novelty Props Seriously

Exotic bets are popular props for big events. Fun football prop bets for the Super Bowl get lots of attention in the media and in many ways that is the point of them. Don’t take these types of wagers too seriously.

You can’t research a length of the National Anthem prop bet, in the same way that you can with a statistical element from the actual game. Keep your stakes small if making these kind of bets.