What Does Outright Win Mean in Sports Betting?
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In this article, we’ll discuss what the term “outright win” means in sports betting. It can actually apply to a couple of different bet types, as you’ll discover shortly. But we’ll explain both in detail, to help you fully understand the definitions and to be able to differentiate between the two.
So what does outright win mean? Let’s find out!
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Now that you know where to place your sports bets, it’s time to discover just what outright win means!
Definition of Outright Win
Because sports betting is a global pastime, the language involved often varies around the world. For instance, what people in the USA call a “parlay”, the Brits refer to as an “accumulator”. Terms such as “handicap” and “spread” can also be confused. And with “outright win” betting, we have another good example.
Futures
In North America, events whose outcome will not be settled for a long time are known as “futures”. These include bets like the outright Super Bowl champions, the NBA Finals MVP or perhaps the winner of next year’s Kentucky Derby.
However, in Europe and many other parts of the world, futures are normally referred to as “outrights”. So if you back a selection in such a market to win, this would be an “outright win” bet.
Outrights: Predict the next Superbowl winner!
Match Winner
However, the term “outright win” can also refer to a standard bet on a team to win a game. In Europe, the most popular bet type when betting on sports is the match winner market. In a sport like soccer, where you can back a home win, an away win and a draw, this is sometimes called the 1X2. But in Asia and the USA, this is not the case.
These regions prefer to bet on handicaps, which bring the odds of the underdog more into line with the favorite. Both the Asian Handicap and points spreads in the US achieve this by giving the unfancied team a head start. If you play this type of market, you’re betting on a team to cover the spread. But if you back a team on the moneyline instead of the spread, it could be described as an “outright win” bet.
Tournament Outright Markets
The most common meaning of the term “outright” is that of a futures market. This name comes from the fact that you’re not not simply backing a team to win a single match. You are in fact saying that they’ll be the outright winners of the entire competition.
For example, let’s say it’s the first round of the FIFA World Cup and Brazil will play against Switzerland. You’re settling down to watch the game and your friend asks you whether you’ve placed a bet. If you said that you’d backed Brazil, it could mean that you’ve bet on them to win this specific game at whatever the moneyline odds were.
But as one of the big tournament favorites, it could reasonably be assumed that you have backed them to win the whole competition. By telling your friend that you’ve bet on Brazil to win “outright”, things are much clearer.
Examples of Popular Outright Win Markets
Here are some of the most common outright markets in sports betting:
- Football: Super Bowl winner; Super Bowl MVP; Heisman Trophy winner.
- Basketball: NBA Championship Winner; NBA Finals MVP; Coach of the Year.
- Ice Hockey: Stanley Cup winner; Conference winners.
- Soccer: World Cup outright; Premier League champions; Ballon d’Or winner.
- Baseball: World Series winner; Rookie of the Year award.
- Tennis: The four Grand Slam tournaments, men’s or ladies singles.
- Golf: Any of the Majors, including the US Open; Ryder Cup winning team.
- Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby winner; Preakness winner; Belmont Stakes winner.
Outright Win vs. Each-Way Betting
Many bookmakers outside of the USA allow bettors to place each-way bets. These are more popular in some sports than others. Horse racing futures, golf tournaments and soccer outrights are a few examples of where each-way bets are common. But what exactly does this mean?
An each way bet is essentially two separate wagers combined into one. One part of the bet is “to win”, so you’ll only receive a return if your selection actually emerges victorious. But the second element of an each-way bet is “to place”. The place terms vary depending on the competition, but they usually involve the selection finishing second or third.
Each-Way Bet Example
For instance, let’s say you bet $100 each-way on a horse at odds of +500. First of all, because this is effectively two bets in one, your total stake is actually $200.
Now imagine the place terms are 1/5 the odds for the first three finishers. This means your place bet will win if the horse finishes first, second or third, but your odds will be divided by five. Naturally, the win part of the bet only succeeds if your selection crosses the line in first place.
Here’s the calculation for your returns should the horse win:
$100 to win @ +500 = $600
$100 to place @ +100 = $200
Total returns: $800
If the horse had finished second or third, the total returns would have been $200. The place bet would still have won, but the win part is a loser.
It’s possible to place each-way bets on many futures markets, although many prefer to simply bet on the outright win.
Pros and Cons of Outright Bets
Outright win bets aren’t for everyone. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits, as well as the negatives of this particular bet type.
Pros
- The amount of time involved with outright bets can be frustrating. It ties part of your bankroll up for long periods.
- A lot can happen between placing the bet and the final result. Injury, loss of form and all kinds of other factors could ruin your wager.
- The number of outright markets tends to be limited. There may be hundreds of lines for a specific game in any given competition. But in terms of futures markets, you’ll be lucky to find more than one or two.
Cons
- Most betting sites today offer cashout. With plenty of time to observe the bet’s progress, you can be flexible and respond to events. Trade out early for a small profit or loss, perhaps.
- While outright bets are undoubtedly riskier, the trade-off is that you’ll benefit from bigger odds than usual.
- Outright win bets are a fantastic way to get real entertainment value out of a bet. Backing a team to win a competition at the very beginning can give you several months worth of interest.
Outright Win Betting: Conclusion
The language of gambling can be confusing at times, particularly when you consider different parts of the world. But if you hear someone talking about “outright win”, the chances are they’re referring to futures bets. Any long-term wager that involves a selection winning a contest entirely can be described as an outright win bet.
If you’d like to explore the world of outright betting for yourself, most modern online betting sites offer such opportunities. But with so many to choose from, it can be tough to know where to begin. That’s why we’ve compiled a selection of trusted, fully licensed sportsbooks right here on this page. With secure payment methods, generous bonuses and competitive odds, you can’t go wrong.
FAQ
What does outright win mean in US sports?
The term “outright” can mean different things. It may refer to backing a team to win on the moneyline, as opposed to the spread, thus winning the game “outright”. But it is more commonly used as an alternative name for futures markets.
Can you bet outright win on futures?
Outside of the US, futures markets are usually known as “outrights”. What’s more, many such markets can be backed each-way. This means that you could receive a return even if your selection fails to win. But if you don’t bet each way, focusing on the “win only” part, this could be described as an “outright win” bet.
What are the rules of an outright win bet?
The exact rules of any bet type depend on the specific sport involved. But generally speaking, an outright win bet requires your selection to win the entire competition. For instance, backing the USA to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be an example of an outright win bet.
