First Half Bets Set the Tone – December 15

If you’ve been betting on sports for any length of time, you are probably aware that you can make first half bets. It is exactly what it sounds like. First half bets are those made on the first half of an event. These are fairly popular bets in sports like football and basketball. Other sports have first half bets too. We’ll talk more about those in a minute.

Imagine for a minute, first half bets in last night’s AFC West clash on Thursday night football. Now, most bets that you can make for a full game can be made on the first half. For example, moneyline, point spread, and totals wagers can be placed on the first half. Only the results of the opening half count. Once the half has ended, first half bets are graded.

Last night, the game total was 34.5. For the first half though, the total could be found at some sportsbooks at 17.5. If you bet on the Over at 17.5, you were a winner by the end of the first quarter. The Raiders led 42-0 at the half. The point to remember is simply that the results of the first half are what matters when making first half bets.

First Half Bets in Other Sports

The NFL, NBA, college football and college basketball all play games in halves. There is a first half and a second half. Bettors can place first half bets on all of these sports. But, what about baseball? What about hockey?

Those are great questions. Hockey, of course, is divided into three 20-minute periods. You can bet on individual periods in hockey. You can make first period bets instead of first half bets. Again, the results of the first period are what counts when making NHL first period bets.

In baseball, you can actually make first half bets. The First Five Innings bet in MLB is considered a first half bet. There are sportsbooks that actually list the First Five wager under first half bets. You can bet on the moneyline, run line, or total and only the first five innings count toward the grading of the bet. 

First Half Bets & Strategy

When would you use first half bets? Well, there are several situations when you might consider a first half bet. Here are a few examples. Take the NBA, for instance. There are several instances during an NBA season where teams play on back-to-back nights. Playing on back-to-back nights usually means a team will play three games in four days.

A great time to place first half bets comes after an NBA team gets crushed one night and has to come back and play the next night against a top tier team. A team loses by 20 on a Tuesday night. Then, they have to play Boston or Milwaukee the next night on the road. This is the type of situation where bettors can take advantage of first half bets.

Another is in college basketball. During the first half of the college basketball season, there are tons of non-conference games. Many of these games pit some of the best teams in the country against mid-major teams. Often the point spreads in these games are 15, 20, even 30 points! Instead of betting on a ranked team to win by 28, for example, you can bet on them to cover the first half spread of say, 11.5. 

A ranked team with a huge lead in the second half is likely to take its starters out of the game. The ranked team is likely to take its foot off the gas in the second half. That gives the opponent the opportunity to get a backdoor cover. The ranked team will play hard in the first half to build a lead so that it can coast in the second half. That’s why first half bets – with the right numbers – make sense in a situation like that.

Look Who’s Back at the Top

William Taylor likes the top of the leaderboard. In Wednesday’s Daily Report, William was the top dog. Today, he’s back again. That puts him at the top of our 7-day leaderboard as well. He’s having a great week!

So are some other Sports Hub handicappers. Four of the top-5 and eight of the top-10 handicappers on yesterday’s leaderboard were Sports Hub experts. I know I say this every day, but these guys are good! They are why every sports bettor should have a Sports Hub membership…if you like winning, that is.

Let’s check out the rest of yesterday’s leaderboard.

• William is back: William Taylor was the main man yesterday. He went 6-1 on seven picks and earned $490. His three-day winnings are $754 and for the week, William is up $1091, correctly predicting 24 of 36 picks. 
• No. 2: Geovanny Araya is our top soccer expert. He only bets on soccer and last night Geovanny nailed both of his picks. That earned him $481! Over the last three days, Geovanny is 7-5 and is up $854. If you’re looking for soccer picks, he’s the guy.
• Scott Wetzel: This guy has been having a great month. Yesterday, he added to his bankroll by crushing his four picks. With a 4-0 mark yesterday, Scott earned $400 which puts him up $1655 over the last 30 days. That’s third on the 30-day leaderboard behind Sports Hub experts Gino Russo and James Acker.
• Dan & The Insider: No, it’s not a new alternative band. Dan Jones and the Sports Hub Insider each went 3-0 and won $300 yesterday. Both expert cappers are up over $1500 for the month. Dan is fourth on the 30-day leaderboard hitting 58.4 percent of his picks for $1595. The Insider is sixth hitting 57.9 percent of its picks and is up $1517.
• Experts in the top-10: Tonny Ricci, Mike Hawk, Robert Ferguson, and Joe Berra all won at least $200 yesterday and finished among the top-10 cappers on the board. Robert is in the top-3 on the 7-day ($760) and the 14-day ($1180) leaderboards.

Nuts & Bolts – First Half Bets on Chargers-Raiders

Last night’s NFL game was supposed to be a dud. Instead, we were treated to 84 points and the second-most points scored by an NFL team this season. Remember when Miami put up 70 on Denver earlier this year? The Raiders put up 63 on the Chargers last night and now most of the trending sports news has something to do with the Bolts.

Let’s check it out.

• Hot seat gets hotter: Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was treading on thin ice. That ice is getting thinner. The Bolts are 1-5 in their last six games. QB Justin Herbert is done for the season and a defense that has NFL sack leader Khalil Mack just gave up 63 points. The question isn’t will Staley be fired; it’s when.
• The Raiders: The Silver and Black Attack set a franchise record for points scored with 63 last night. That’s with a fourth-round quarterback running the show. Aidan O’Connell went 20-for-34 for 248 yards and four touchdowns. The Raiders led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 42-0 at the half. They are now 6-8 and have an outside shot at the playoffs.

• Al Michaels: The veteran sports broadcaster delivered the best line of last night’s TNF broadcast. “If there’s a silver lining, the flight home is only 45 minutes.” That was when the Raiders were up 35-0 in the first half!
• Canucks: It can’t be all Chargers, right? So, Vegas has the most points in the NHL President’s Cup race. Right behind them in their own division are the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have won four straight and are now 20-9-1 and have 41 points, the second-most in the NHL. Last night, the Canucks took just 18 shots and beat Florida 4-0.

Friday Sports Schedule

It’s almost here. Tomorrow will bring us six bowl games which will lead us right into Week 15 of the NFL season on Sunday. Today is kind of the calm before the storm. There is still plenty of value out there and our Sports Hub experts can help you find it. Check the database for picks all day long. Our cappers may even have some first half bets.

Here’s what you can bet on today.

1. ESPN doubleheader: It’s Friday in the NBA and that means an ESPN doubleheader. It’s Lakers-Spurs in the first game and Knicks-Suns in the late one. There are eight games total on today’s schedule.

2. NHL calm: It’s also the calm before the NHL Saturday storm. Saturdays are always a big day for the NHL. Tonight, there are six NHL games. Both New York teams play tonight at home. The Rangers (19-7-1) lead the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders (14-7-7) are right behind them in second place.
3. NCAAB: There are only 13 college basketball games tonight. That’s a light night, but there is one game matchup that all eyes will be on. No. 5 UConn takes on No. 10 Gonzaga in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off. There are four picks in the database for that game already and over a dozen overall. There may be some first half bets in there.
4. World soccer: Tomorrow will be a big day in the world’s top soccer leagues. Today, we get a single match in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1. There are matches all over the world. Check our database to see if Geovanny Araya has any soccer picks.
5. PGA Tour: The second round of the PGA Tour Q-School tournament is already in progress. Harrison Endycott led after Round 1.

Our Sports Hub experts will find ways to take advantage of today’s sports schedule. You should do the same. Then, you’ll be ready to go for a Saturday and Sunday full of college and NFL football. Don’t forget to check out first half bets on any of the games you like. You may find a great value bet that makes more sense than betting the full game. Come back tomorrow and see how you and our experts did. See you then!