Prop Betting in Kentucky
A prop, or proposition, bet is a wager on some aspect of a game or event that doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of that game or event. Props are bets on certain things happening within a game. These things generally surround stats or a player or team achieving specific statistical milestones.
Here’s our guide to prop betting at Kentucky online sportsbooks, with a complete look at what props are available and the best ways to bet on them.
Best KY online sportsbooks for prop betting
Kentucky online sportsbooks will make hundreds of props available for every game in every major sport. You’ll likely find a prop bet surrounding every stat recorded.
All these props can be fun alternatives or exciting additions to standard game betting. Plus, props give you a way to bet on the performance of your favorite players and teams.
Enter the name of your favorite player or team in the prop bet search tool below. It will show you all the prop bets currently available surrounding that player or team. Plus, it will display the odds on each prop posted by Kentucky’s best online sportsbooks. Clicking on the odds will take you to the website of the sportsbook that posted them. That’s where you can sign up for an account, claim your KY sportsbook bonus, deposit, and place a prop bet.
What is a prop bet?
Props are bets on certain game events, mainly focusing on players or teams hitting statistical milestones. Examples from the big four sports leagues include passing yards for an NFL QB, three-pointers made by an NBA guard, strikeouts recorded for an MLB starter, and power-play goals scored by an NHL team.
How much do prop bets pay?
Most props ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, or they ask you to bet over or under a line set by sportsbooks. Sportsbooks will post odds on the different possible outcomes. These odds tell you what you’ll get paid if you answer the yes/no question correctly or bet on the correct side of the line.
Positive odds (+) indicate the underdog and tell you how much you stand to win for every $100 you bet. Negative odds (-) indicate the favorite and tell you how much you need to bet to win $100.
For example, you might bet $100 on LeBron James scoring 25 or more in an NBA game at +150. If he does it, you’ll win $150, plus your $100 bet back. Of course, you might also bet on James scoring 24 or less in that same NBA game at -105. That would require betting $105 to win $100.
List of prop bets by sport
The list of props you can bet on at Kentucky online sportsbooks will be different for every sport. The differences often come down to what statistics are tracked in each sport. Here’s a look at some of the most popular props for major U.S. sports.
NFL prop bets
The most popular NFL player and team props surround:
- Touchdown passes
- Touchdowns
- Rushing yards
- Passing yards
- Total receptions
- Yards allowed
- Turnovers recorded
- Point totals
NBA prop bets
The most popular NBA player and team props surround:
- Points
- Rebounds
- Assists
- Steals
- Blocks
- Turnovers
MLB prop bets
The most popular MLB player and team props surround:
- Pitcher strikeouts
- Hits
- RBI
- Home runs
NHL prop bets
The most popular NHL player and team props surround:
- Goals
- Assists
- Goaltender saves
NCAA football prop bets
The most popular college football player and team props surround:
- Touchdown passes
- Touchdowns
- Rushing yards
- Passing yards
- Total receptions
- Yards allowed
- Point totals
NCAA basketball prop bets
The most popular college basketball player and team props surround:
- Points
- Rebounds
- Assists
- Steals
- Blocks
- Turnovers
Other sports
You’ll also find props available for sports like soccer (MLS), golf, tennis, and mixed martial arts (UFC). Prop categories generally mirror the official stats kept by the league or the sport’s official governing body.
Super Bowl props
There will be props available at Kentucky online sportsbooks for almost everything surrounding the Super Bowl, on and off the field. Sometimes, props can include happenings on the periphery of a game, a phenomenon that began with Super Bowl prop betting.
Because of that, sportsbooks will offer more prop bets for the Super Bowl than any other sporting event. Super Bowl props available in Kentucky are likely to include:
- An expanded number of player and team stat-based props
- Broadcast, national anthem and halftime show props
- Crossover props involving Super Bowl bets in combination with bets on other sports with games on Super Bowl Sunday
- Exotic props involving occurrences around the game (e.g., coin toss, presidential tweets)
Why bet on props?
Props can add excitement to any game, even games that aren’t otherwise competitive. Bet props and there’s something to root for besides just the outcome. Plus, most props offer decent odds, giving you the chance to win something relatively big even with a small bet.
Prop betting is great for both casual and diehard sports fans. Overall, prop betting is an easy concept to grasp, so even sports betting newbies can get in on the action. Plus, props give veteran sports bettors and longtime sports fans a chance to use their vast knowledge of teams and players to earn a profit.
Most props surround stats, making prop betting a lot like daily fantasy sports. However, there’s a freedom to be found in prop betting you don’t find with DFS, where you have to build an entire lineup under a salary cap.
How much should I wager on prop bets?
Betting responsibly means only betting within your means. In other words, you should never bet more than you can afford to lose. Prop betting is no different, and you should really only bet on props (or anything else) with what you consider disposable income.
Stick to that one important responsible gambling principle and how much you actually bet on props is up to you. Of course, following certain bankroll management principles is known to be the best path to profitability. Proper bankroll management involves never putting too much of your bankroll on any one bet.
One way to ensure consistency is by creating a unit amount. Most experts say each unit should be equal to 1% of your bankroll. Then, you can vary your bets, putting anywhere from one to five units on each bet based on how confident you are in that bet.
If you’re pretty sure LeBron James will score 25 or more tonight, you could bet two units. But if James is facing a team that he’s never scored less than 30 on throughout his entire career, coming off three 40-point games in a row, and you’re 100% confident he will drop 25 or more tonight, you can bet five units.
Are props better in certain sports?
It’s not necessarily smarter to bet on props in one sport more than any other, but you should stick to prop betting in the sports you understand best. Most props surround stats, and you’ll want a clear understanding of how those stats function.
Like anything else, prop betting requires good research and a keen understanding of statistical probability. You’ll want to compare prop bet odds to the chances of that event actually happening, and only bet when they are close to a match.
Of course, prop betting is more popular in some sports. NFL props, especially Super Bowl props, are the most popular. But again, if you are primarily an NBA fan, betting on NBA props might make more sense for you.
Live proposition betting
Live betting will be available for most major sports with Kentucky online sportsbooks. This is where you bet on live games at odds that change alongside the action. In fact, there are often more props available during games than beforehand, allowing you to bet on props surrounding every play, possession, and more.
The early cashout option
Online sportsbooks often give you the chance to cash out early on a bet. They’ll tell you how much you can cash out for in your list of active bets, as long as the action is still live. All you have to do is click on it to take it. The early cashout option is available on a lot of props.
Just be mindful of the fact the cashout offered is rarely anywhere close to the potential payout. It might be worth taking when you’ve lost all confidence in a bet. Cashing out could help you earn at least a small profit or recoup part of your bet. However, if the bet is winning at the time, hedging it yourself by betting on the other side could end up being the more profitable route.
Prop betting strategy and mistakes
Props are fun and should probably be treated as such. That said, there’s nothing wrong with researching stats, developing a good understanding of probability, doing a little math and taking prop betting more seriously.
Either way, avoiding these common prop betting mistakes is paramount to profitability.
- Don’t bet against yourself: With so many props available, it can be relatively easy to contradict yourself. Start clicking buttons and you might accidentally bet both on a quarterback to throw for over 300 yards and on the defense he’s facing to give up fewer than 300 yards in the air. Track your bets carefully.
- Don’t bet too much: Don’t bet big cash on props, especially on longshots. The odds should be big enough that a small bet will do the trick. Plus, props aren’t the kind of bets where you want to be taking big risks.
- Don’t bet prohibitive favorites: Sometimes you might have to lay big money to win very little on a prop everyone thinks can’t miss. Best-case scenario, you make very little profit. Worst-case scenario, you actually lose that bet and all the money you put down. The risk is not worth the reward on giant favorites.
Sportsbook prop rules
Kentucky online sportsbooks will post rules pertaining to different props and how they’re settled. Most sportsbook prop rules include the following:
- Overtime counts.
- Props are ‘no-actioned’ when a game is suspended.
- Props are not settled until game results are deemed official.
- Player props are ‘no-actioned’ when the player involved does not play.