Half Time Wagering

Today's world moves at a fast pace. Deadlines loom and decisions have to be made. Everyone seems to always be running late. At least that did not apply to gambling. If your bet is not down before the roulette wheel spins, too bad. If you do not get that bet posted before the game starts, it's too late. Well, not any more.

Some sportsbooks these days are taking bets on only the second half of football and basketball games. As in any other "industry," halftime wagering is a product being offered by the suppliers (the sportsbooks) to the consumer (the gamblers) that offers a new type of action for the player while bringing in new revenue for the "house."

Vigorish

Halftime wagering has advantages for both the bettor and the sportsbook. In particular, for the book it means more opportunity to collect bets. In addition to collecting losing bets, the sportsbooks also get a commission, known as the "juice" or "vigorish," on winning bets – so more bets, more juice.

Further, since the line or points spread is adjusted to reflect the results of the first half of the game, the sportsbook is no less likely to suffer a big loss because a big underdog is in the process of pulling a major upset. The adjusted line also does not give the bettor much time for handicapping or for hunting for a favorable spread. A surprising first half also can stimulate interest in a contest that received light action before the game.

Betting Advantages

Making halftime wagers also has advantages for the sports gambler. If the bettors have little time to assess the first half, neither do the sportsbooks. Normally, they use a rough formula based on the score and original point spread to determine the halftime line. This gives bettors some leeway to use their own judgment in how the game is progressing. So -- as according to the old cliche if "the game is closer than the score indicates" – a halftime wager can give the bettor the edge on the spread. Also, if the team you bet on originally is losing badly, a halftime bet can be made to reduce or reverse the expected loss.

Another advantage of the halftime bet is to give the gamblers the chance to get a bet down on a game they had passed on originally. If there was some uncertainty about the contest or if the original line did not seem quite right, based on the experience of the first half, a bettor can still taste some action with a wager with which they feel more comfortable.