Live Betting Sites (The 5 Best Live Sports Betting Sites In the US)

Top sites for in-game betting

Since online sports betting became legal in 2018, one of the more popular options has become live betting.

This wagering method allows you to engage with in-play betting as the game unfolds. This can be a betting strategy you plan for, but it could also just be that you want to bet on a game you may have forgotten to place a pre-game wager on.

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The odds for all available bet types change as the game progresses, so depending on the sport, these odds can drastically change from play to play.

Here, we’ll look at some of the top live betting sites. For us, the best live sports betting sites have a wide variety of sports you can bet on and top-tier user interfaces that make it easy to make quick bets.

Borgata - Best In-Game Live Betting Features

Falling under the BetMGM umbrella, Borgata benefits significantly from having some of the best features an online sportsbook can have for live betting. There are several international events played each day. This is great, because not everyone has access to watch these games live otherwise.

Borgata - Live Streaming for Live Betting

Borgata Sportsbook offers players with an account a feed for watching certain sports live. These are typically soccer, basketball, tennis, and other international events.

Borgata - Best Live Sports Betting Tools To Inform Wagers

On top of offering live streaming, Borgata also has a live game update tracker if you’re unable to watch the game live. This feature is also available for games that don’t have live-streaming access. Lastly, you can look at critical live stats to help see how the game has gone up to that point. For example, with soccer, you’ll see stats for dangerous attacks, total shots, shots on target, and free kicks.

Borgata Sportsbook does these things well with live betting:

• Live streaming available for many international sporting events
• A live sports betting tracker for all games
• Offers live updates on key statistics to inform live betting decisions

Borgata could improve this:

• No live betting-based promotions are available

How to bet live: How do live sports betting work in reality?

The basis of live betting is to wager on contests that are actively in progress, with the available odds reflecting what’s happening in the game.

However, there’s a strategy that can come into play with this betting style.

Hold off until you see some action in the first half or couple of quarters

First, you can deliberately hold off on betting on a game pre-game to see the game’s trajectory for a set amount of time.

Changing odds makes it easier to hedge your money

Another way, however, allows you to hedge your pre-game wager. For example, if the Boston Celtics are playing the Brooklyn Nets, you bet on the Celtic's money line at -110. You bet the $110 to win $100.

Then, during the game, the Celtics are winning in the fourth quarter, and the Nets are +250 to win outright, but Jayson Tatum just got injured, a key player for the Celtics. Here, you could bet $50 to win $125. Now, you’re in for $160 and could receive a final payout from your online sportsbook of choice of $210 from the first bet or $175 from the second bet. It’s not ideal, but at least you can reduce your losses.

Micro betting

Micro betting is making live wagers on smaller events within the game. These can be made in most sports and will settle quickly, making each possession more exciting.

Below are some examples of how sportsbooks offer viewers betting odds.

• Basketball - Result of the next score
• Football - Convert on third down
• Baseball - Next batter strikes out

Cash-out

Cash-out allows you to make a bet and bail early. This can be because the bet is going wrong or you’re winning, but a key player gets hurt. This is offered at many online sports betting sites now. The only catch with cash-out is that it’s not always offered, and the sportsbook can pick and choose when to make it available. Also, if you’re engaging in a promotion or bonus, this will typically negate it.

Let’s look at some cash-out examples.

• You bet $110 on the Toronto Raptors to win outright with -110 odds.
• If you win, you’ll get $100.
• The fourth quarter arrives, and the Raptors are down by 10 points.
• You can opt to cash out and get back $36.
• You’ll lose $74, but conserve $36 or take the risk and see if they make a comeback.

What to consider when choosing a live betting site

We’ve highlighted many of these features already, but these are key to creating a top-tier live betting site.

When you go to a regulated online website, you’ll firstly want to look for a page dedicated to live betting and with updated live betting odds. Here, you’ll be able to browse the available events for in-play betting.

Once you’ve found the event you want to live bet on, you’ll hope to see the following features:

• A wide array of betting options: As with pre-game wagers, the more options for making live bets, the better, as there are more ways to profit.
• Live streaming: This is usually only available for international contests, but this allows players to watch events live that they may otherwise not have access to.
• Live in-game tracker: While live streaming may not be available, there should be a live, up-to-date tracker of what’s happening in the game. It’s not quite live-streaming, but it’s the next best thing.
• Statistics: At sites like BetRivers, you’ll find an extensive library of statistics available, including the key stats and a page to go deeper depending on the sport.
• Promotions: It doesn’t need to be anything substantial, but look for a site with even one promotion available. This isn’t make or break, but hey, getting a bit of a bonus is never a bad thing.

Some betting markets that we thought you’d like

The two most popular sports to bet on are the NBA and NFL. These sports are similar when it comes to pre-game point spread wagers. The most significant difference is betting totals, because NBA games can account for 200+ points.

There are many live betting markets available, including the following:

• Moneyline
• Point spread
• Total
• Props (Game, Team, and Player)
• Parlays

Now, let’s look at examples of live betting for each.

NBA Example

Scenario: The Golden State Warriors are 3-point favorites against the Los Angeles Clippers at home. This is a pre-game point spread. You realize you forgot to bet on the game, and it’s now the second quarter. The Warriors are trailing 33-31.

The Warriors were favored in the game, but they find themselves trailing. However, it’s still relatively early for an NBA game, so the Warriors are now -1 on the point spread.

This shows that the bookmakers still think the Warriors will win, but perhaps this matchup will be closer than anticipated—maybe the Clippers have a player playing really well that they didn’t expect.

You can bet on the Warriors -1 on the point spread instead of -3.

NFL Example

Scenario: The Buffalo Bills are hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. The total is 50.5 points. It’s halftime, and the Bills are leading 23-20. The total is at 43 and is well on pace for going over.

You can expect the live betting total to go way higher than 50.5. The new total is 73.5. Based on the first half, it’s possible they get 31 more points combined, but maybe halftime adjustments lead to better defensive play.

Conclusion

Live betting has become one of the more popular ways to wager on sports. While wagering pre-game will always be the go-to, live betting allows you to redeem a bad bet or get back in on the action. There’s nothing worse than, for example, betting on a favored team in the NFL only to see them down 14-0 in the first quarter. With live betting, you can bet on the other team and fundamentally change your entertainment experience.

As for the sites, always be on the lookout for more. Remember, it’s up to these sites to provide you with the best resources to make the most informed bets. You can even use these tools to discover a new sport or league you may not have otherwise enjoyed because the live-streaming tool offers it.

FAQ Live Betting Sites & Apps