What Is Live Betting and How Does It Work?
Live betting odds are directly related to each specific match in which they are provided for, with the pre-match odds adapting in-play based on scores during the game, and the public betting consensus.
The odds for live sports betting will fluctuate in real-time on our site, and the prices available will have always been compared between online bookmakers to bring you optimal odds at all times for our selection of markets in each sport.
For games in minor leagues and competitions, the odds will be more based on data feeds and algorithms, which can lead to profitable opportunities if the odds fail to adjust more accordingly with the game state.
However, for major competitions, you can expect the odds to adapt if a team is to dominate the proceedings, even if they were not favourites before the match. The odds will change in real time for betting in-play, and it is crucial to be fast to ensure you do not miss your opportunity.
Benefits of Live Betting
There are several different benefits to in-play betting, in addition to the fact that it provides you with a faster way to see the end result of your bet compared to pre-match wagers. Check out the below for some of the ways you can take advantage of live sports betting:
- Better odds: If a big team keeps on having a sloppy start in football or a tennis player regularly keeps on losing the first set, it can be beneficial to wait and see if better odds are available during the game before they mount a comeback.
- Understanding of performance: Watching or tracking the progress and performance of each team or player in a game can help you better understand the odds compared to pre-match, and enable you to find value in-play.
- More engagement: By betting in-play, it can enhance the experience of watching a sports event. That slight edge of placing a wager on the game can make watching the event much more engaging and enjoyable.
- Strategy based on real-time events: If you have pre-match bets placed but they don’t appear to be going well, your strategy can be adjusted with in-play betting. Alternatively, you could also double down on your pre-match selection with confidence.
Top Sports for Live Betting
All of the sports on our site and with online bookmakers are available for live betting, but some can provide better value than others. Additionally, some sports are undoubtedly more popular than others for betting in-play, with better market and streaming coverage available.
Check out some of the major sports for betting in-play that you may not have even thought about before.
Live Football Betting
With a wealth of markets to choose from, live football betting can provide excellent results if you choose correctly how a match will pan out. The popular markets typically available for live football betting on OddsPortal include the 1X2, over/under goals, both teams to score, and handicap markets.
With our recommended bookmakers and their live betting platforms, you can also enjoy numerous other markets like the next goal, over/under corners, over/under cards, and even the next goalscorer.
Keep track of the scores and live football betting odds with our platform today and find the best odds for every single market!
Live Tennis Betting
Tennis is an extremely popular option for betting live, with many bettors waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of a slight momentum shift, or excellent odds when a heavy favourite loses the first set.
Live tennis betting is all about being fast, with even a point often making a big difference in the odds with online bookmakers in each game. Additionally, along with monitoring the live tennis odds, it’s crucial to watch the match through live streaming if possible to keep an eye on any injuries or key factors which will rapidly affect the pricing with bookmakers.
Check out the live tennis betting available with OddsPortal and follow every point for a match you have bet on, or just for keeping track of how your favourite player is performing.
Live Cricket Betting
As teams chase down big leads, look to land consecutive wickets or restore some pride, live cricket betting presents lots of opportunities for punters.
With OddsPortal, live cricket betting enables you to bet on the match winner, which can often be a market that is extremely volatile depending on the switch in momentum in each game, or even down to how the wicket is playing for each team.
Follow every ball and find a betting angle for you with our in-play cricket odds today.
Live Golf Betting
Golf betting can provide exceptional value due to high player odds and players potentially coming from behind to win a tournament at an extremely good price. Moreover, you can even bet on a hole-by-hole basis with certain online bookmakers, as they allow you to choose which player will win the next hole against his opponent, or both playing partners.
Unfortunately, live golf betting is not something that we currently offer on OddsPortal, but our recommended betting partners will provide odds in-play for all golf events.
Live Scores for In-Play Betting
With OddsPortal, you can also find live scores in addition to odds for your in-play betting, with those game-changing scores being extremely important in your decision making.
Discover live football scores, cricket scores, basketball scores, and more with our platform as we bring you immediate updates on every live match in each sport that is available on our site.
You don’t even need to live stream the match of your favourite team or preferred leagues and competitions, because our live scores can update you on the events of each and every in-play game across various sports.
Can I Find Live Football Scores?
Football live scores are available for all leagues and competitions that we supply on our site, enabling you to keep track of your bets and see if you have selected a winning coupon.
Our live football updates on our site are limited to goals only, however those goals are updated within seconds of the ball hitting the back of the net and corresponding with the live odds.
Features to Look for in Live Betting Sites
Speed of navigation is the optimal feature when looking for an in-play betting site, because you need to be swift when betting in-play to avoid dropping odds or a game development dramatically affecting the odds.
But these features are also key to look out for when you hunt for the best live betting sites:
- Fast interface
- Live streaming
- Cashout
- Positive mobile experience
- Live match developments
- In-play statistics
How to Choose the Best Live Betting Sites
When choosing live betting sites, it largely depends on your preference and exactly what you are looking for in online bookmakers. Some might prefer live streaming, while others may have better access to sport on their TV to keep up with games.
Some points to consider would be:
- Odds update speed
- In-play market selection
- Integrated streaming
- Specific promotions for in-play betting
We highly suggest you look out for a few specific features which you consider non-negotiable, and then find the live betting sites which have those important attributes.
Best Live Betting Sites in 2025: How We Compare
There are a few live betting sites which have standout in-play betting platforms, and have been tested by us to ensure they offer the full package!
bet365
Boasting without doubt the best live betting market selection and odds, whilst providing live streaming across hundreds of different events around the world, bet365 is the best live betting site of all our recommended betting partners.
You can sign up and enjoy that live betting platform when you sign up with the bet365 welcome offer through OddsPortal today.
Midnite
Thanks to its fantastic, modern looking site and betting app, you can enjoy placing your in-play bets with Midnite with a wealth of markets for many different events, across various sports.
Head to Midnite today and see what an excellent live betting site the platform is and discover their competitive odds for in-play betting.
Unibet
A specialty feature of the betting site, Unibet provides its players with an extensive look at in-play betting odds, live streams, cashout options, and more. Ensuring to cover all of the necessary markets and more for players that like betting in-play, Unibet is one of the best live betting sites currently available.
What to Consider Before Placing a Live Bet
There are many steps to consider before you place any bets during live matches, and it is important to gamble responsibly at all times. On top of that, it is crucial for live sports betting to be consumed on sports that you enjoy, have an understanding of, and regularly follow, as opposed to betting in-play for the sake of it.
Key tips before placing live sports bets:
Watch The Live Event
Understanding how the teams or players involved are performing by watching the match is the best way to ensure you are betting responsibly during live games. You can watch all of the actions and develop an understanding of who is performing better or how the game is evolving, and where you can take advantage in the live betting odds.
Analyse statistics
Although betting with speed is the optimal way to bet in-play, you can still analyse the pre-match statistics or in-play stats to identify trends or patterns which may present value in the betting odds live.
Avoid Impulsive Bets
If you aren’t watching the match and simply think a team or player will come back to win because they were favourites pre-match, we’d recommend avoiding these impulse bets because you aren’t aware of how the game is developing.
Understand Moving Odds
Above all, it’s key to be knowledgeable about how the odds are reached for live sports betting, and where value may be evident, or if it isn’t worth betting on a certain outcome at that point.
Key Benefits of Live Betting for Sports Fans
The reason that betting live has risen in popularity is due to shorter attention spans and the faster results that you can experience from placing wagers during the match. Instead of placing a pre-match bet hours before the start time and waiting till the end to see the match results, there are now much better opportunities with live sports betting to find value during matchups.
Moreover, betting in-play can enhance engagement and bring an extra level of excitement to watching a match, especially if your bet is a winner!
When betting during games, it doesn’t have to be based on instinct or impulse. You can still take the time to forge an analytical approach and understand how teams perform at certain points in each game, and how that might be able to be taken advantage of in the current in-play odds.
In our opinion, here are some of the pros and cons to live sports betting:
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Pros
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Cons
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Better excitement and engagement
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Hasty & poor decision making
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Higher value bets
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Market suspensions
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Fast-paced and quick results
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Reliance on betting for engagement
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Insight into game flow
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Cashout flexibility
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Tips for Successful Live Betting
Successfully betting on live matches relies heavily on the same facets that contribute to a successful betting strategy in general. This means not making any rash decisions, ensuring you always keep control of your bankroll, and more.
- Bankroll management - Make sure that you still bet responsibly and what you can afford at all times.
- Avoiding emotional decisions - Don’t bet on your favourite team or a big team for the sake of it, place wagers based on game developments or statistics that support your decisions.
- Using live stats and data - Live statistics can prove to be influential in decision making, and can enable you to spot value in the betting lines available during games. For example, if Liverpool has had 70% possession, only two shots against and 13 shots themselves in the first 30 minutes but find themselves 1-0 down, it is clear that there may be value in betting on them to come from behind.
- Timing and value spotting - When value is available, it is important to time your bets correctly and not rush into decisions, or even wait too long where there may be a market suspension and the odds are slashed.
- Don’t chase losses - If you have been unsuccessful with one bet but remain confident you will still win, do not rush any decisions just because you have experienced a loss. It is key not to make rash decisions and chase a losing bet when betting live.
Why Use OddsPortal for In-Play Betting?
Supplying you with the best live betting odds through comparisons from leading online betting sites at top speed, OddsPortal is the place to be for betting in-play.
Covering all of the minor and major competitions for numerous sports, bringing you trusted data, live scores, and live odds accuracy in line with what you will find with our betting partners, we have everything you need for an enhanced experience betting in-play.
Additionally, by registering with some of our recommended online bookmakers, you can lock in excellent sports betting offers available for new players and enjoy betting live with extra funds in your bankroll!
Check out the live betting platform available with OddsPortal on this page today, select your favourite sports and take advantage of the best in-play betting odds thanks to our dynamic odds comparisons.
FAQs About Live Betting
How Does Live Betting Work?
In-play betting is exactly the same as pre-match betting and simply involves you placing a wager on the odds you find available for a chosen market. For live football betting for example, our site supplies you with markets like 1X2 (match result), over/under (total goals), among many other options. The only difference with in-play betting is the odds will change frequently with the game progressing and time ticking down, so that is something to be aware of.
Are Live Odds Accurate?
Live odds are extremely accurate with OddsPortal, with our platform continuing to aggregate odds from our betting partners to showcase the best prices at all times. The in-play betting odds are accurate throughout the market selection we offer, with our site bringing you real-time odds comparisons throughout all in-play games.
Can I Cash Out During Live Betting?
With in-play betting sites, you will be able to cash out your bet provided it was for a market that is available for cash out with your chosen bookmaker. You will need to find “My Bets” or similar with the betting site, and check to see if a cash out is available during the game you have bet on.
Is Live Betting Available For All Sports?
Live betting with OddsPortal is available for every sport that we have on our site, which ranges from sports like football and tennis to table tennis, or volleyball.
Are Live Betting Odds Better Than Pre-Match Odds?
Neither pre-match odds or live odds are betting than one another, it just depends on how you prefer to enjoy sports betting.
If you like to bet quickly and based on match developments through watching the game or tracking the statistics, then in-play betting odds would be best for you. Alternatively, if you like to take your time and do your research, and maybe even find value bets, then wagering on pre-match odds would be a more ideal way of betting.
Live betting sites