Prop Bets Explained for 2026: Dive into Proposition Wagers and How They Work
If you’re into sports, you might already know how to place prop bets. But if you’re new to the world of sports betting, let us tell you all about this unique way to wager on your favorite matches, leagues and events.
Prop betting is a fun way to wager on lots of outcomes on different sports, and offers a wide range of markets to discover. Suitable for all sports, we’re going to take a deep dive into the world of prop betting and show you why you should consider it the next time you visit your favorite online sportsbook.
What is a prop bet?
Prop betting, or ‘proposition’ betting, is a popular group of markets that lets you wager on various outcomes of a sports match. The defining characteristic of a prop bet is that the wager you make doesn’t have anything to do with the final score or outcome of the event.
For instance, instead of betting on which team will win a soccer match, like you would with a straightforward moneyline bet, a prop bet involves betting on something else, such as the amount of corners taken in the match, or the total number of yellow cards a team receives.
This style of betting opens up a whole other world of markets, as prop bets offer a huge variety of things to wager on across any sport you can imagine!
How prop betting works in terms of odds
Most prop bets use the ‘totals’ format, which is also called ‘over/under’ betting. Using American odds, this is where the sportsbook will set a number and your aim is to predict if the outcome will be higher or lower.
For example, in the NFL, you can bet on a quarterback to have ‘over’ 250.5 passing yards. If he throws for 251 yards, you win. But if he throws for 250 or less, you lose.
In over/under betting, the 0.5 makes all the difference, as it means you can never tie (push) the score. This is called ‘the hook’, and it ensures that you always either win or lose your bet.
The 3 main types of prop betting
As prop betting covers such a vast range of markets, it’s usually broken down into 3 main categories: player props, team props and game props. Within these categories, you’ll find tons of markets across different sports, where you can bet on anything from the amount of home runs in a baseball match to the first player to get a kill on popular eSports like CounterStrike 2.
As the name suggests, player props is when you bet on a specific player in a match, league or event. This can be in any sport, and player props are a great way to enjoy an upcoming event without concentrating on the final score.
For example, you could bet on who will score the first touchdown of an NFL game. During the Super Bowl or other primetime games in the season, this is a popular prop betting market.
Another simple concept, team props involve betting on the result of a team in a match or over the course of a league or long-term competition. Team props are a great option for bettors who like to make predictions for the future, rather than just the next match.
For instance, in MLB, you could bet on a team’s total hits of the whole season. An example could be betting over/under on the total number of hits recorded by a lineup.
As you can imagine, game props concentrate on a specific match or event. This is a fun collection of markets, as it offers a huge range of elements to bet on, and some sportsbooks get quite creative with their game props!
As an example, you could take a soccer match and bet on the amount of headers a specific player takes, the amount of yellow cards given or the total amount of corners.
Here’s a quick roundup of the 3 types of prop bets and their main focus.
| Prop bet | Main focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Player props | Individual players or athletes | Aaron Judge to hit a home run in MLB |
| Team props | A specific team | Real Madrid to score over 2.5 goals |
| Game props | An event or match | Total touchdowns in an NFL game |
Best sports for prop betting
Much like parlay betting, prop bets are varied and eclectic, so you’ll find a great range of markets across all sports. That said, there are a few sports where prop betting is particularly popular.
Soccer
Soccer or European football, has various active leagues and tournaments throughout the year, which makes it perfect for prop betting as there’s so much you can bet on! The 3 main categories are all catered for, as you have many teams, players and matches to wager on throughout a season of just a single league alone.
Popular player props include anytime goalscorer, a player’s shots on target, and goalkeeper saves, while team or game props cover outcomes like total corners, half-time score, and clean sheet.
American football (NFL)
Another great sport for props, football lets you bet on a wide range of players, teams and games – keeping things exciting as the season progresses. Popular prop bets include highest-scoring half, if there will be a score in the final 2 minutes of play, and first team to score.
At the moment, there’s also the ‘ATD’ bet, which stands for ‘anytime touchdown’. This is a current trend where you bet on a specific player to score a touchdown at any point during a game. For this bet to come good, your chosen player must be physically holding the ball in the end zone.
Baseball (MLB)
Baseball is another great sport for prop betting, as it offers lots of teams, players and matches to wager on. Things like total bases, home runs and stolen bases are all popular game props, while first to X points, first 5 innings totals and total number of team home runs are some great team props you can make.
A cool tip that savvy bettors use in baseball betting is looking at the ‘park effect’. This is where you adapt your wagers depending on the park dimensions. For example, Fenway Park has a short left field, and Yankee Stadium has a short right porch. These factors may affect the team totals, so you can adjust your bets accordingly!
Calculate your prop bets easily with this calculator
Pros and cons of prop bets
If you’re looking into prop betting for a sport that you like, there are a few considerations to look into first:
- Not dependent on the final outcome of an event
- Offer a huge range of markets
- Adds an extra element of fun to a specific match
- Requires more in-depth research
Prop betting – injecting a ton of fun into sports wagers
As we’ve seen, prop betting offers a seemingly endless supply of markets across different sports. As a general rule of thumb, team sports like baseball, football and soccer tend to offer the most potential for props, but you can also enjoy this style of wager on other sports like golf and even eSports.
Unlike lay betting, where you bet on an outcome not happening, prop betting is a fun way to wager on many different events within the same match or league, and can be a great way to inject some extra fun into proceedings.
So if you’re ready to give prop betting a try, use the banners on this page to sign up to a great online sportsbook today where you can discover a world of props for yourself!
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Prop betting FAQs
❓What is prop betting?
Prop betting is short for ‘proposition betting’, which is the term used for wagers that don’t rely on the final outcome of a match, league or event. Instead, bettors can wager on occurrences within a game or league, including player props, team props and game props.
💰 What’s the best prop bet for winning?
There isn’t one specific bet you make that is better than another when it comes to props. That said, doing research and wagering on statistically likely outcomes is a good approach to prop betting. However, always remember that the outcomes are still not predictable even with an in-depth research for the match you’re planning to bet on.
⚾ What are the best sports for prop bets?
The great thing about prop betting is that it can be used on pretty much every sport. However, sports that have a lot of teams and players lend themselves to prop bets better, including basketball, American football, soccer, and baseball.
