Markets
Prop bet
Also called proposition bet, player prop, props
A bet on something other than the final result — usually an individual player's statistical total.
Props cover a player's passing yards, a pitcher's strikeouts, a scorer's goals, or game events like whether there is a first-inning run. Most are over/under markets on a posted number.
They are the fastest-growing part of the market and the most expensive. Props routinely hold 6–10% against 4–5% on main lines, so a prop bettor needs a substantially bigger edge just to break even.
They are also where soft numbers survive longest, because books cannot price thousands of individual player markets as carefully as they price a handful of sides and totals. Limits are correspondingly low.
Want the full version? Read the in-depth guide, with worked examples and the math.
See also
- Hold — The share of all money wagered on a market that the sportsbook keeps regardless of the result.
- Vig — The bookmaker's built-in margin — the reason both sides of a market add up to more than 100%.
- Same-game parlay — A parlay whose legs all come from one game, priced to account for how they relate to each other.