Strategy
Middle
Betting both sides at different numbers so that certain results win both bets.
If you back an underdog at +7 and later back the favourite at −3, any final margin of four, five or six points wins both bets. Outside that window one wins and one loses, and you are out only the vig.
Middles are lottery tickets with a tiny cost: they lose a little most of the time and win big occasionally. Whether one is worth taking depends on how often the middle window actually hits, which is exactly what key numbers tell you.
See also
- Arbitrage — Betting both sides at different books at prices that guarantee a profit whatever happens.
- Hedge — Betting the opposite side of a wager you already hold to reduce risk or lock in profit.
- Key numbers — The margins that occur far more often than others, mainly 3 and 7 in football.