How to Snatch a Prize in Volleyball: Are There Surprises in a Popular Sport?

All of us have played volleyball at least once in our lives: at the beach, at school, somewhere else. It’s a fairly democratic sport, but what keeps it from becoming really popular is the model where taller players rule the ball. Well, that situation is beginning to change and volleyball’s popularity is beginning to grow. Both in the masses and among bettors. We tell you about the peculiarities of the sport and the nuances that need to be considered when betting on it.

The rules of volleyball are many and complex

The classic rules that everyone knows: you have to hit the ball into the opponent’s court with no more than three touches on your side. That’s right, no more than three: most of the time players do three – receiving, passing, attacking, but the rules do not forbid fewer touches. And this is sometimes used.

Even 20 years ago, every game was played to 15 points and you could only score a point on your serve. Matches dragged on, which was bad for the popularity of the game. In addition, the players grew taller, which made the game unattractive for an average-sized player.

Now the game was made more dynamic: the game lasts up to 25 points, but points are scored both on their own and on the opponent’s serve. And to reduce the average height they invented the position of libero: a volleyball player who is responsible for receiving the opponent’s serve and defense against his attacks.

They are trying other experiments, but for now they are not catching on. But volleyball technologies have caught on: the video replays system was implemented earlier than VAR in soccer. Each team has two replays for each game. If you guessed it, you can still watch the video replay. If not, the attempt is forfeited.

Types of volleyball betting: important points and nuances

In general, betting on volleyball is not much different from betting on other ball games. But there are some peculiarities, let’s talk about them in more detail.

1. Bets on the outcome. Of course, this is the most common market, but it is less popular with players than the same market in soccer betting. The thing is that in a number of matches the difference in the class of teams is too great, so the bookmaker will offer the odds of 1.01 to win the favorite or will not bet on it at all. This is a peculiarity of volleyball: there is no draw here, so the odds for one of the teams to win will be lower. But the choice is not three, but two options.
2. Betting on handicaps is another popular market in volleyball. You can bet on the victory of the team with a handicap on points or on sets. If it is clear from the sets: a handicap (-2.5) means a victory with the score 3:0, and (-1.5) – 3:0 or 3:1, then with points it is more complicated. The handicap will be the difference in the number of points scored between the teams. That is, it may turn out that the team will lose the match, but will score more points, it all depends on the difference in games.
3. Bets on the total. Here there is a large variety. It is possible to bet on the total points in a match and set, total sets and even on the individual total of the team or a particular volleyball player.
4. Bets on the score. This market exists, but it is limited for obvious reasons. The thing is that the score options can be only six – 3:0, 3:1 and 3:2 both ways. Therefore, the odds here will be lower than in the same soccer, where the score can vary much more.
5. Bets on statistics. You can bet on the number of eys, blocks, service errors and even video replays! True, not every bookmaker’s office gives such a line. Usually such a choice appears on the key games of major tournaments. World Championships, the Olympics, the League of Nations.
6. Long-term bets. As in other team sports, long before the finish of a particular tournament, whether it be a club championship or a national team tournament, it is possible to bet on the final winner. Waiting for the calculation of such bets takes a long time, not every player is ready to endure, but it is possible to make a bet with much higher odds.

How to Bet on Volleyball

Volleyball is quite a difficult game to understand, in which a lot is decided by psychology. Therefore, in order to successfully bet on volleyball, there are many nuances to consider.

In this sport, the role of individual players should not be underestimated. In a team, as a rule, there are one or two volleyball players who score more than 15 points per match and determine the result of the meeting. Therefore, you should look for information on the status of these players: whether they are injured and whether they will take part in the match at all.

Team tactics. There are some teams, where all the forwards score about the same amount of points, and there are teams that rely on one leader – a powerful attacking player. Study the stats, see how the passer distributes the passes, and then at the very least it will be easier for you to bet on the individual performance of the players.

Tournament schedule and team motivation. The ideal cycle for a volleyball team is one match per week. But if the club participates in European Cups, two or three games a week are possible. In this case keep track of the geography of the flights and estimate how ready the team is to rotate the lineup.

Motivation is also important: the team may prioritize and field a squad diluted with the reserves, or even a second line-up for particular tournaments. This will of course have an effect on the odds in individual matches.

If you are betting in live, do not bet on the team that gained a 2-3 point advantage at the start of the set. This handicap can be offset with a single serve. Especially if your team has good serveers.

In addition, a psychological factor plays its role: experienced teams, favorites often improve in the end, while the outsider can fall to pieces. If the advantage is 5 points or more – then you can try to bet on the underdog, it is not easy to win back such a handicap in one set.

Volleyball is one of the most spectacular and interesting sports. If you study it thoroughly you’ll get a lot of pleasure. And profit, of course. Good luck with your bets!