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Middle in betting: essence of strategy

We used to use the word “middle” in our everyday life as simple as it is, though it also has a different meaning as a betting term. And that’s exactly what we’re going to elaborate on further. 

What is middling?

Middling presupposes betting on both outcomes of an event that may be winning, but there is still a chance you can lose some of your money if your bets don’t hit the so-called middle.

Middles originated in basketball. It’s quite a dynamic kind of sport and on average each second attack happens to be effective. A slap shot brings from 1 to 3 points.

Sometimes bookmakers are late in reacting to odds change, and a gambler is getting an opportunity to make a favourable bet on both opposing outcomes of the match.

What is a Middle Bet?

Let’s check it out on the example: VTB United League, BC Khimik - BC Zenit. The halftime ends with the score 48:44. One of the bookmakers gives 1.96 on TO(181.5), and the other one - 1.94 on TU(189.5).

Splitting the $100 bankroll, we bet both outcomes. The best option for us is to hit the middle between 182 and 189 points. This way we’ll get: 50*1.96 + 50*1.94 = $195 or 195 -100 = $95 net profit.

We won’t profit from any other outcome, but the loss would be minimal: if TU wins, we get 50*1.96 = $98. If TO wins, we get 50*1.94 = $97. The loss would amount to only 2-3 dollars.

In the meantime, the strategy is applied to most sports: hockey, handball, volleyball, tennis.

Football, for instance, provides enormous opportunities for gamblers to win betting middles. Bookmaker lines have a huge selection of handicaps and totals, so it’s pretty easy to pick up wide-ranging middles: goals, yellow cards, red cards, corners, fouls, saves, shots on goal.

Middle types

In terms of profitability (loss), middles are divided into positive and negative.

Positive middles

Whatever the outcome, you profit anyway if you bet on positive middles. For example, when the odds on both outcomes are over 2.0, the win is definite as it would certainly cover the loss of any of the outcomes. And in case you hit the middle, the profit is much bigger.

It’s rather difficult to independently search for middles, though they are fairly common in our scanner.

Negative middles

Negative middle represents a situation where the gambler never hits the middle and loses a part of his bet. This kind of situation is, unfortunately, quite often, and all we can do here is minimize the potential loss.

It’s possible if you work with the range of odds from 1.85 to 2.5, which ultimately brings you a good income. Anyway, there is always a room for a rough patch, and the risk of losing your funds remains.

Polish middles

Polish middles should be examined separately. The crucial point here is to avoid playing the least favorable scenario. It would be better illustrated by the example:

The World Cup 2022 qualifier between Scotland and Austria; bid amount of $100; 2.27 on the home team on Asian handicap +0.25; 2.37 on the winning of the visiting team (W2). As we all know, H1(0.25) is the average between H1(0) and H1(0.5), and our bet is divided in two.

Hitting the Polish middle here would bring you $270 and $370 respectively. But in case of a draw, some part of the bet would be lost and here is why:

One of the bets on H1(0) would be voided, and the other one would lose. The odds on the win of the visiting team (W2) would obviously fail as well. The tie score - inevitable damage of $365. 

Comparing middles to surebets

Bookmaker mistakes are usually behind the emergence of the middles. In both cases we wager two bets but basically, that's where the resemblance stops.

Each gambler got a shot at reaching the middle bet as it’s the only chance to make money. As for an arber, he’s seeking to bet the opposing outcomes in the way that brings profit no matter the match result.

Online betting scanner

Everyone is free to decide which option to take when searching for middles - by means of a scanner or manual search. Manual hunting for middles is a time-consuming process, hence more and more gamblers rely on betting scanners.

The information on events and outcomes that constitute a middle in the scanner is provided on the basis of the specialized software that calculates the best amount to wager together with potential income.

Middles strategy in sports betting
e.g. middle in the BetBurger scanner

 

Our software is a leader on the betting market, offering all necessary functionalities for successful middling. All you need to do is to navigate to bookmakers in order to make a bet. 

Manual search algorithm

Here is a set of tips to follow if you still up to look for middles manually:

  • Review dozens of bookmaker lines to find the required even.
  • Manually calculate the potential income, loss, and amount to bet.
  • Fast odds change would obstruct you to manage all the calculations and betting on time. 

It’s crucial to pay attention to the odds and try not to wager odds lover 1.85. This way you minimize the risk of losing the most of your bankroll.

Benefits and drawbacks

Middle is a tool for generating revenue from sports betting. Among the benefits are:

  1. Tangible profit when hitting the middle.
  2. Potential use of small bankroll.
  3. Great choice of events that eventually form the middles.
  4. Less risk of being limited by bookmakers.

However, there are some aspects that make middles less attractive:

  1. No safe profit in contrast to surebets.
  2. Slight bank increase. 
  3. Long line of loss can result in significant part of the bank got wasted.

So ultimately one should find himself in the “middle” between two specific bets and don’t slip to hit the middle.

Artur Polianskyi
For today Artur has 12 years of betting experience, and he kindly shares his knowledge with the readers of our blog. In his articles, you will find many useful tips for different strategies and learn more about all types of bets.
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