One of the major attractions of sports betting is the availability of a wide array of options and strategies. One of the go-to options for many betting enthusiasts today is “betting chalk,” which involves betting on favorite horses, players, or teams.
This guide will explore the world of chalk sports betting, covering the following:
Any punter in the sports betting industry for a while may have heard of the term “betting the chalk.” But what exactly does it mean?
Experienced punters can make an essential distinction between favorites and chalk. While every chalk is the favorite in a game, it doesn’t mean every favorite is automatically in the chalk category. If a horse, player, or team is favored by a narrow margin with the opponent where an upset wouldn’t be shocking, it doesn’t qualify as chalk.
When a good enough difference shows that a selection is a heavy favorite, you have a chalk bet. For example, let’s say there is a football match between two teams at the top and bottom of the English Premier League table, respectively. Naturally, the team at the top of the league will be seen by most sportsbooks as the one with the best winning chances and will be the heavy favorite and chalk.
Before going into other details, let’s discuss where the chalk betting term originated.
The term originated from the old days of horse racing. Today, when you go to a physical sportsbook for your sports betting needs, you will usually find a huge digital board displaying odds for various markets.
Online bookmakers make things even more convenient and provide odds on all the markets to players via the screens of their smartphones, tablets, and laptops. However, this was not so decades ago.
In the old days, bookmakers wrote down the available odds on sporting events on a chalkboard. Naturally, the favorites with the best winning chances got the most action, so the odds constantly changed and got updated. And each time the odds change based on how many actions the favorites get, the bookies often need to erase the previous odds and chalk up the new one. So, the favorite horses’ names were often covered in dust at the end of the day. Hence the term chalk in betting.
As mentioned, you can identify sports betting chalk from the odds bookmakers provide for sporting events. When sportsbooks consider a horse, player, or team the strong favorite in a matchup, they tie the market to very low odds. It is unsurprising as these bets tend to have the best winning chances, and the bookies naturally don’t want to lose out in the long run. Typically, bettors would have to wager a lot on chalk bet markets to earn a decent profit.
For example, here is the market offered by Betway a day before the 2023 UEFA Championship League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan:
Based on the betting odds provided, Betway considers Inter Milan to be the underdog in the match. A $100 bet on the game will yield a whopping $560 profit to any lucky bettor should Inter Milan win. On the other hand, Manchester City is the clear heavy favorite, i.e., the chalk based on the betting odds chalk on the market. A $100 bet on the team will only yield $49 in profit should Manchester City win.
Regarding the NBA, if you are considering a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons based on their performance in the 2022-23 season, bookmakers will consider the Bucks as the heavy chalk bet.
One of the best things about chalk sports betting is that it applies to virtually every sport. Punters can use chalk betting to earn profits if a sporting event features an underdog and a heavy favorite. So, whether you are passionate about football, basketball, tennis, MMA, or other sports, you will find many chalk bets you can enjoy. The best part is that these bets are not limited to the outright winner of a game. Punters will also find many exciting chalk betting options like over under sports bet chalk.
Now, let’s closely examine a few of these sports.
Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport globally, played in almost every country with billions of fans. With so many tournaments, competitions, and leagues, there are many opportunities for football betting chalk.
You will often find heavy favorites facing weaker teams in top-tier football leagues like the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, etc. Going with the chalk in these matches can be profitable.
As one of the oldest sports in the world, horse racing is another excellent option for chalk sports betting. It is not surprising, as the term originated from horse racing. From the Cheltenham Festival to the Grand National, the Royal Ascot, the Epsom Derby, and many others, there are many meetings and events to bet the chalk in horse racing.
As another world-popular sport, basketball provides several opportunities for punters to take chalk bets. Interestingly, one of the times that the term “chalk” often comes up in sports betting is during March Madness, a nickname for the NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Millions of fans will fill out the brackets during this time, with many betting it all on the chalk. The NBA and other basketball leagues are popular choices for taking the chalk.
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is another popular sport where taking the chalk can be a good strategy. Like other sports, you will often find clear favorites and the obvious underdog in MMA matches when you look for fighting betting at online sportsbooks.
Bookmakers consider the skill level, fighting records, rankings, form, fighter reputation, and other essential statistics when assigning odds. Taking up chalk MMA bet markets can be a profitable way for punters to enjoy their betting experience online, especially when there is a significant skill gap between the fighters in a matchup.
Another sport where betting chalk is quite common is USA’s most beloved sport, American football, or just football if you ask any American. Punters will find many opportunities to take the chalk because there are often clear favorites during many matchups, especially in the National Football League (NFL) games.
Interestingly, one common phrase you might hear from NFL betting enthusiasts is, “It was a very chalky NFL Sunday this past weekend.” It shows that the chalks ended up on top during the weekend games.
There are undoubtedly many benefits to engaging the chalk in sports betting. But it is also apparent that, like every other betting strategy, it is not a foolproof way to guarantee profit.
That said, there are some tips to consider to use and maximize chalk to your advantage.
Like most things, sports betting chalk comes with its share of risk. Punters must know these risks to help make informed decisions about chalk betting.
Here are some of the risks you should consider:
To mitigate these risks, you must maintain a level-headed approach to your chalk bets, conduct thorough research, and assess other factors beyond favoritism. Combining this with proper bankroll management and focusing on value can help navigate the risk of betting the chalk.
Betting chalk is a go-to option for many sports betting enthusiasts, especially casual bettors. It refers to placing wagers on the heavy favorites that bookmakers expect to win a game. Unsurprisingly, this often pays off, as taking the chalk is less risky than putting your wagers on the underdogs.
On the flip side, there are some downsides to betting the chalk, including the low payouts that come with it. Due to their higher likelihood of winning, bookmakers tend to provide low prices for chalks, making it harder to yield good profit. Punters also risk losing a lot of money with chalk bets in unexpected cases of upsets.
If you are interested in a casual sports betting experience, betting chalk might be the one for you, so don’t hesitate to give it a go. And when you do, make sure to practice responsible gaming.
Sports betting has become an increasingly popular pastime due to its numerous advantages but I've never heard about betting chalk.....interesting