How Do Injuries Affect Betting?

Understanding Some Key Terms

Betting on individual player performance has become common in most, if not all, bookies. However, understand that there may be different outcomes when a player gets injured. It affects players in team sports or even versus 1 sport. In addition, different bookmakers have distinct policies determining how your potential bet slip will be resolved. 

Here are some common terms used when a player is injured or missing:

• Void – In this case, the bet will be canceled, and your stake will be refunded to your account. It mainly occurs when an event does not happen or a player is ruled out before the game commences. Additionally, when a game does not meet the designated threshold of playtime, your bet can be deemed void. 
• Ejected – Ejection happens during the game. Based on market rules, your bet will stand even when a player is ejected. Different sports have different rules, which can result in ejection, such as red cards in football or two technical fouls in basketball. 
• Injury – When players get injured, they cannot proceed with the match. Nonetheless, your bet will still stand. Players with injuries before the game will not be available in bookies, so you cannot bet on them. 
• Inactive – Bets on inactive players will be deemed void, and bettors will regain their stakes. But, in NFL, individual players’ performances will determine whether a player will be inactive. It happens when a player does not place a snap.

How Should Injuries Affect Our Wagers?

If you think about it, it’s clear. Injuries to members of the starting squad can have a drastic impact on the outcome of the game. Imagine Tom Brady getting injured during warm-ups in the Super Bowl. It can change NFL scores and most likely enrage those who bet on Brady’s team.

It’s the same with any other sport. Star players getting injured can create a lot of trouble for punters, and it’s even worse in the case of a tennis betting injury.

How to Approach Injuries Before a Game?

There’s no special formula for approaching injuries before a game. If you already know who’s injured, you should read expert opinions on how they might impact the match. The likelihood won’t change if it’s a play on the bench. But, if a star player is injured, the odds at NFL sportsbooks will undoubtedly be different from the early lines.

That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on our news and tips sections which can give you plenty of insight into what you can expect.

How to Approach Injuries During a Game?

If your wagers are already placed, and a player gets injured, you can do nothing unless you’re betting in live markets. In that case, you can look at the impacted odds and place a bet on them. Compare the odds before and after an injury in soccer betting, and you should get a whiff of how big of an impact it is.

How Do Injuries Affect NFL Betting Lines?

Any injury of an active squad player in the NFL affects the betting lines. It all depends on which player is injured. If the start is good and the backup is worse, those who have already invested might panic. This injury will certainly move the line, proving that injuries have an enormous influence on NFL sportsbooks.

How Important Is an Injury in Soccer Betting?

While it is a team sport, football is ruled by star players. Injuries to star players such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Robert Lewandowski can influence their teams’ odds. Odds will undoubtedly be adjusted when news about the injury is revealed, so keep that in mind before you bet.

How Important Is an Injury in Tennis Betting?

Injuries to tennis players don’t just influence the odds – they can terminate them altogether. Tennis is not a team sport, so if a player reveals an injury, he will most likely retire, resulting in annulled bets at tennis betting sites.

It all depends on the tennis injury betting rules, but in most cases, that bet won’t count or will result in a push.

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Impact on Points Spreads

Points spread bets do not rely on the conventional win-or-lose mechanism. As such, when a player gets injured or ejected, a team will find it difficult to achieve your designated prediction, especially if it is a high score. 

It mostly affects teams that have lost their key players as they lack the motivation to push on. Bookies will also have to adjust their odds to align with the situation of the missing players. For instance, if the main quarterback gets injured, the points spread odds may favor the opposing team. 

Impact on Over/Under Bets

Over and under-bets rely on teams’ scoring power. When an attacker gets injured, the team will likely have a low-scoring power that will favor under-bets instead of over. Hence, it would be best to project the impact of injuries when betting on over/under bets. 

Impact on Future Bets 

When key players are injured, your future bets may be highly affected. For example, if a team’s main player is injured in the first phases of the season, chances are minimal for them to clinch the title. 

Sports Betting Sites Injuries Policy

As stated earlier, different bookies have their own rules used to determine injuries in sports and how they are resolved. This section will enlighten you on what happens in the following bookies;

Does FanDuel Void Ejected Players?

According to FanDuel market betting rules, your bet will stand if a player gets ejected during a match. The bookmaker states that betting is risky, and this is one to bear if it happens. It resonates with BetZillion’s rhythm. Hence, we would recommend to consider this when incorporating players in your bet slip.

Ejections are common in the following instances:

• Football – Multiple fouls leading to a red card 
• Basketball – Several technical fouls 
• Baseball – Arguing a call 
• Hockey – Fighting  

Betfair Injury Policy

Betfair does not include injured players in their odd listings as they will not participate in the match.

Here is what to consider in Betfair injury policy:

• If a player is considered active, in instances of minor injuries, they will be listed in the bookie but will not count if they do not play the game. 
• Your bet will stand if the player gets injured in match proceedings. 
• The policy does not include later injury replacements. 

Does DraftKings Void Injuries?

According to DraftKings, bets can be voided based on the house’s discretion.

But different cases may influence how bets are voided due to injuries by DraftKings, as illustrated below:

• All bets will stand when a tennis player gets injured by mid-game. 
• When an event is canceled, all bets will stand up to the point of cancellation. 
• In NFL, a player must make at least one snap for your bet to be in action. 

Bet365 Player Injury Policy

Bet365 injury policy states that players must be dressed and record playtime not to be deemed void. If a player gets injured, your bet will still stand as the bookmaker considers such occurrences unavoidable and unplanned. 

If a player is substituted by half-time, you will be refunded as bet credits on your selected markets.

But this has specific rules, as illustrated below:

• In soccer, it applies only to pre-match betting. 
• It applies to selected markets, including first and last scorer, hat trick or more, anytime scorer, to score two, score cast, bookings and to send off wincest, man of the match, and time cast. 

Bovada Player Prop Injury Policy 

Different factors govern what happens in Bovada player prop injury policy.

They include:

• Your bet will stand in NFL for an injured player for as long as they have been in the game for three or more minutes. 
• The bet will be void if the injured player does not participate in the game. 
• The individual leg will be void for parlays, and winnings will be computed based on the remaining legs. That is if they win. 

Strategies for Betting on Injured Players 

Although injuries can be detrimental to your betting experience, utilizing the following strategies can give you meaningful insights;

Hedging Bets 

It involves double staking on both teams to neutralize losses in an event where a player gets injured. For instance, if you have wagered on a start player to score, you can bet on the other team if things go haywire. 

Waiting for Injury Reports 

Team reports, among other reports, will provide proceeds on injury situations for players. It will help you make sound decisions on players to bet on. 

Focusing on Underdogs 

When a strong team gets injuries on start players, you can take advantage of betting on underdogs as they have playing motivation in such events. 

How Do Sports Injuries Affect Athletes?

Injuries aren’t just bad for sports bettors and betting lines. If you analyze the career of some players, you can trace their performance in line with injuries. Many players have been destined for greatness but never reached that level because of injuries. Just take a look at Penny Hardaway or Grant Hill.

Injuries have a great influence on a player’s career, both mentally and physically. Injuries also affect teammates, especially when we’re talking about star players.

Physical Limitations

Injuries have a massive impact on a player’s performance. They limit their physical abilities, which should be considered before you bet. Another thing to remember is that players are not at 100% even when they receive the medical green light. When they return from an injury, it’s probably not best to bet on props.

Psychological Effects

Injuries limit a player physically and mentally. They can have a major psychological effect, especially in the case of injuries with a lengthy recovery road. Players have been depressed during this period, and that’s something to keep in mind when betting on them or their teams.

College football betting injuries can have the worst psychological impact, as these players are young and counting on the NFL draft.

Mental Impact on Teammates

When a star player goes down in a team that doesn’t have proper reinforcements, it can seriously impact the teammates. It’s the coach’s job to lift their spirits. Whether they fail or succeed, the odds will certainly be adjusted.