Micro Betting Explained: What is Micro Betting and How to Use It

Are you one of the increasing number of sports bettors already taking advantage of the added convenience and many special perks that legal online sports betting has to offer? If so, you have probably discovered that the days when all bets had to be placed before the start of a game are over.

All major online sportsbooks now offer live betting (also called in-play betting or in-game betting) in all of the popular betting markets. Instead of being limited to the betting options your favorite online sportsbook offers before the game starts, the opportunity to win more money with strategically placed bets during the game is yours for the taking.

This article will introduce you to a special form of live betting called micro betting.  We will explain what the term means and tell you which sports provide the best opportunities for micro betting. You will also learn the most popular micro bets you can make in each of these sports and which offer the best opportunities to win.

As with all forms of sports betting, micro betting has both pros and cons and it is not for everyone. But if you decide to give this form of wagering a try, you will find our comprehensive guide and practical betting tips to help you win indispensable.

What Are Micro Bets?

Micro betting involves a combination of live betting and prop betting – wagering on a specific aspect of a game that is not related to the final outcome. More specifically, the main difference between micro bets and other live bets is that instead of having to wait for a whole quarter, half, or even an entire game to know if the bet wins or loses, the results are available almost instantly.

In addition, an important similarity between micro betting and other live bets and what is different from pregame betting is that you have virtually no time to think about your wagers. You need to act very fast because, with every play, the odds can change, so every second counts.

Like other forms of in-play betting, micro betting takes place in real-time as the game progresses from one play to the next. You therefore not only need to be watching every play of the game attentively; you also need instant access to the continually changing micro betting options and applicable odds being offered on that game. In other words, all of the following must be completed beforehand because once the game starts, you will not have the extra time necessary and you must proceed immediately.

• Be a registered player at one or more reputable sportsbooks that offer micro betting and have sufficient money in your account to cover multiple wagers.
• Download the app for micro betting onto your smartphone or tablet.
• Click on the sport and game you wish to wager on.
• Do the relevant background research on the teams and players and other important variables such as travel and weather that could have a bearing on the results.
• Situate yourself in a place where you can watch the game and bet on it at the same time.

Micro betting caters to bettors who like to have continuous action and instant gratification while watching a game. Advanced online technology makes this exciting way of betting possible by not only allowing sportsbooks to adjust the odds instantly after every play but also allowing customers to complete and submit their bet slips equally fast.

Micro Betting Example

Micro betting is offered in many sports, but the one sport that probably lends itself better to this form of wagering than any other is baseball.

For example, you can bet on whether or not the next batter in an MLB game will have a hit. Or, for even faster results, you can even bet on whether the next pitch will be a ball or a strike.

On the other hand, a point spread or moneyline bet on the second half of an NFL or NBA game is not a micro bet because it would take too long for the outcome to be decided.

Which Sportsbooks Allow Micro Betting?

All of the well-known online sportsbooks offer micro betting, However, some have better micro betting apps and cover more micro betting markets than others. Some of the best sportsbooks for this type of wagering are the following:

• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• BetMGM
• BetRivers
• PointsBet

Readers can use our links to register with any of the listed sports betting operators and start placing micro bets.

How to Place a Micro Bet

Since micro betting is a special type of live betting, all micro bets are by definition live bets. However, not all live bets are micro bets. Therefore, if you have no previous experience with live betting, before you consider adding micro betting to your wagering repertoire, you need to have a good basic understanding of how live or in-play wagering works and have some success with it. For example, you might try a simple point spread or moneyline bet on a game in progress

Once you feel comfortable with in-play betting, you can move on to the more specialized subcategory of micro bets. However, if you are new to this form of betting, read this entire article carefully before you start. We also recommend that you pick one sport to focus on initially and make some practice bets on paper before risking real money. It is also very important to decide what portion of your bankroll you can afford to set aside for these wagers and then select a suitable bet size.

As mentioned, before you can place a micro bet online, you must have an account with one or more legal online sports betting sites that allow you to place wagers in the micro betting markets that interest you. Then decide which game you wish to focus on and do the necessary background research beforehand, as you would with any other type of bet. Then, as soon as you are ready, here are the specific steps you need to follow to get started.

• Log into your account, ideally shortly before the start of the game.
• Make sure before you start wagering that the balance in your account is sufficient. Once a game is in progress, you must be fully ready to play the second a bet you want to make becomes available. You will not have time to reload your account since the betting lines you saw earlier will no longer exist.
• Download the sportsbook’s app for micro betting, if you have not already done so. Or, if you prefer, you can access the same information using the site’s web browser.
• Click on the “Live Now” (or similarly marked) tab.
• Find the sport that interests you and then the specific game where you want to find micro bets.
• Depending on the sportsbook, micro betting options might be listed in different sections. Some good places to look are “Live Props” and “Popular.”
• As soon as you see a micro bet you like, enter your wager on your bet slip.

Which Sports Are Best for Micro Betting?

Micro betting is possible in a wide range of sports. Any sports with live betting lines can offer micro betting odds. However, some online sportsbooks offer them across a wider range of betting markets than others. The sports that offer the most micro betting opportunities are as follows:

• ⚾Baseball
• 🏈Football
• 🏀Basketball
• 🏒Hockey
• ⚽Soccer
• 🏌️Golf

Most Popular Micro Bets

If you are new to micro betting, you are probably wondering what kinds of betting options are available in a particular sport. In the previous section, we mentioned the six sports that get the most micro betting action. We will now take a look at each of these sports individually and the most popular micro bets you can make.

⚾MLB Games

Major League Baseball is the sport that more than any other lends itself to micro bets. Here are several popular ways to place micro bets during an MLB game:

• The outcome of the next pitch
• How the next batter fares
• Inning moneyline: which team will score the most runs
• Total number of runs in an inning

🏈NFL Games

 NFL games generate more betting action from Americans than any other sport. Throughout the NFL season, more Americans also watch these games in their entirety than any other games. Therefore, it is no surprise that placing micro bets on an individual NFL game is also very popular. Here are some of the most popular micro betting options available to you while watching an NFL game.

• The result of the next play: i.e., a score, continuation of a drive, turnover, or punt
• The result of the next drive
• Whether the next field goal is made or missed

🏀NBA Games

NBA games move at a faster pace than MLB and NFL games, so placing a micro bet in time is more challenging than it is in most other sports. Here are two examples of the types of micro bets you can make during an NBA game.

• Whether the next shot will be made or missed
• Whether the next successful shot will be for two points or three points

🏒NHL Games

This is another very fast-paced game where successfully placing micro bets on time is difficult. Here are two popular betting options open to you while watching an NHL game.

• Which team will score the next goal
• Whether or not a goal will be scored in the next 10 minutes

🏌️Golf (PGA tour)

Golf is a slower-paced game, so you should have no problem placing a micro bet in time. The following is a popular micro betting option during the PGA tour.

• A three-way moneyline bet, including the option for a tie, on the hole winner in a game between two players

⚽Soccer

Because there are so many different leagues in this sport, the soccer micro betting opportunities are plentiful. Here are the most popular betting options.

• A two-way or three-way moneyline bet on the next goal
• Total Corners-List-Time bets: Whether or not a corner kick will be awarded in the next 5 or 10 minutes

Micro Betting Tips

All sports betting, including micro betting, involves a combination of both luck and skill. Micro betting, because it is based on what happens during individual moments of a game rather than the whole game, might appear to be almost totally a matter of luck much like betting on red or black on the next spin in roulette.

But knowledge of the teams and skill in choosing bets with a good chance of winning also come into play. Here are eight useful tips to help your micro betting experience not only be more fun but also more profitable.

1. Do not make micro bets solely because you want additional action on a game you are watching. Real money is at stake, so you can quickly deplete your bankroll if you are not careful. Discipline and good money management are a must.
2. Therefore, before you start, set aside a portion of your total sports betting bankroll specifically for these bets and then decide on a reasonable bet size. Make sure you also have an adequate bankroll for other sports bets without dipping into any of the additional funds you need for your basic living expenses. Do not rely on micro betting as your only form of sports betting. These highly specialized team or player props bets should represent only a small portion of your wagers.
3. For the above reasons, if you are a very small bettor who can only afford to make minimum deposits, it is best to avoid micro betting completely. Stick to the simplest pregame bets like straight moneyline or point spread bets. Because micro bets are decided extremely quickly, this type of betting is especially risky for people with very limited bankrolls. There is too much temptation to keep placing more bets.
4. Even if you can afford to make substantial bets, starting slow with relatively small wagers is highly recommended. Give yourself time to get the hang of micro betting before increasing your bet size.
5. If you are new to micro betting, focus on one specific sport initially
6. Choose games involving teams and players you are the most familiar with and keep up to date on important recent trends such as peaking and slumping teams and players. Other important variables that might affect the outcome, such as tough travel schedules, player trades and injuries, the quality of the opposition, and weather also need to be checked.
7. Be selective and only make bets that have a good chance of winning. For example, in MLB games, based on the pitcher’s ERA and the hitting records of the next few batters, you might consider making an over/under bet on the number of runs in the next inning. That bet would have a better chance of winning than one on the outcome of the next pitch.  An NFL bet on whether a field goal would be made or missed would also be a good choice simply based on the kicker’s distance from the goal.
8. Keep records of all of your bets and the outcomes. If you are not winning money, go back to the drawing board to see what you can do differently.

Micro Betting vs. Live Betting

Micro betting is very similar to other types of live bets in that the wagers are made while a game is in progress. The difference is that micro bets pertain to a much smaller fragment of the game.

Whereas the outcomes of other live bets are not known until the end of a quarter, half, or the whole game, many micro bets, such as the outcome of the next pitch, are decided in seconds. Some micro bet outcomes, such as whether an NFL drive will result in a score, take longer to decide, but the waiting time is still shorter than with traditional live bets.

Risks Associated with Micro Betting

The risks associated with micro betting are similar to those of sports betting in general. No matter how good a particular bet may look on paper, there is no guarantee that you will win. However, with micro betting, the risks are magnified. As soon as the last bet has either won or lost, which can happen in seconds, you might be tempted to make another bet. If you keep on doing that over and over again throughout the entire game, the cost can mount up quickly.

That is why it is so important to set aside an appropriate bankroll and loss limit for these bets beforehand. The worst thing you can do is chase your losses and run the risk of depleting your bankroll and digging yourself into such a deep hole you may do something desperate.

Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of micro betting is that vulnerable individuals are at risk for developing a gambling problem. If that might be the case with you, recognizing the signs sooner rather than later and seeking help is the best thing you can do for yourself.

All legal state-regulated online sportsbooks are now required to provide information and advice on responsible gambling and inform customers who need help with problem gambling what they can do about it. One recommended option is to request a cooling-off period. Another is to be placed on an exclusion list. A third is to call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Micro Betting Pros and Cons

If you are on the fence about whether to give micro betting a try, the following list of pros and cons will help you decide.

✅Pros	❌Cons
If you wanted to bet on a particular game but did not get a chance before it started or you would like to place additional wagers on it, you have that opportunity.	Micro betting is not for everyone. It is too easy for many bettors to give in to the temptation to keep betting over and over again and risk far more money than they can afford.
If an earlier bet looks like a winner, micro betting gives you a chance to try to win more. Conversely, if you do not like the way an earlier bet is going, you can try to cut your losses with select bets during the game.	It takes a lot of discipline to use this betting option successfully. The unique format puts vulnerable individuals at increased risk of developing a gambling problem.
Traditional bets take a long time to settle, and you often will not know if you won or lost until the end of the game. Waiting this long can be frustrating. Having additional bets during the game that are decided very quickly makes watching these games more fun and exciting.

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