When sports betting first migrated online years ago, there were only a few sites at which you could place bets. Today, there are hundreds of sportsbooks that offer lines on all major sporting events. The problem is, having hundreds of options doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy a positive experience at all of them. Some sites are good while others are bad. Finding the best sportsbooks online requires diligence, experience, and an eye for features that count.

USA Bettors Accepted at These Top Sportsbooks

• Bovada Sportsbook - Lighting fast payouts!
• BetOnline - Takes Visa & Mastercard for deposits easy
• BookMaker - Best reputation in the industry
• 5 Dimes - US friendly and great odds

Our goal below is to familiarize you with the key features that experienced online sports bettors enjoy. We’ll point you to a few of our favorite sportsbooks, but more importantly, give you the tools you need to evaluate them on your own. If you’re new to online sports betting, the following will help you get started. You may also want to check in at sportsbookreview.com to get info on some great picks or get tips from the forum.

Getting Started With Online Sports Betting

For beginners, the most challenging part of sports betting involves the terminology; the concepts seem difficult, but are easy to grasp once you understand the terms used. The most important terms are “point spread,” “money line,” “odds,” “totals,” and “parlays.” There are dozens of others, but learning these five are critical before you place wagers at the best sportsbooks online. Here’s a quick glossary:

Point spread – This is a handicap on the favored team or player. For instance, if the Boston Celtics were favored to beat the Chicago Bulls by 6 points, the spread would be 6. A bet on the Celtics would win if they beat the Bulls by 7 points or more.

Money line – The line is used on bets that lack a spread. It still reflects the favored team, but does so differently. An example might appear like the following:

Boston Celtics -140
Chicago Bulls +120

Here, the Celtics are favored. You would need to bet $140 to win $100 for a Celtics win, or bet $100 to win $120 for a Bulls win.

Odds – This reflects the amount paid on winning bets. For instance, the odds the Bulls will beat the Celtics might be 1 in 4. In this case, the bet would pay $40 for every $10 wagered.

Totals – These are bets that are based solely on the combined scores of the teams. For example, you might bet the combined scores for an upcoming Celtics/Bulls game will be higher than 164. It does not matter who wins the game.

Parlays – These are wagers that involve bets on multiple teams. All teams must win their matches for the parlay to pay out.

Keys To Selecting The Best Online Sportsbooks

There are certain features that are important to note when evaluating sports betting sites. First, pay attention to the incentives offered to new and current members. Large sign-up bonuses are important, but also note the clearing requirements. Also, look for ongoing bonuses and promotions.

Second, make sure the sportsbook has a good reputation in its field. If a site has been in business for several years, consider its longevity a good sign you’ll be paid when you win.

Third, look at the odds offered on matches and games. Are they consistent with other online sportsbooks? Are they usually better than those found at other sites? Typically, you’ll find the best odds fluctuate between sports betting sites, which is the reason we recommend joining a few of them.

Fourth, if you enjoy variety, pay attention to the different types of bets you can make on any given match. Some sportsbooks are fairly straightforward, and offer the most popular bets (e.g. parlays, totals, moneyline bets, etc.). Others seem to specialize in the more exotic wagers.

Lastly, the best sportsbooks online offer multiple ways to fund your accounts, and withdraw your winnings. This flexibility is valuable. You might find that using your credit card is problematic while using an e-wallet service is problem-free.

Types of Sportsbetting at the Top Sportsbooks Online

Review the list below to find which types of sportsbetting are offered at online sportsbook sites:

• Bodog Sportsbook – offers sportsbetting for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, ufc/mma, tennis, golf, boxing, motor sports, and horse racing (plus more)
• Betonline – offers sportsbetting for basketball, boxing, football, golf, hockey, mma, soccer, and more
• Bookmaker – football, baseball, basketball, hockey, motor racing, golf, soccer, boxing, mma, and more are all sports with betting options available
• 5Dimes – offers sportsbetting for boxing, baseball, hockey, and football

Top Sportsbooks Online

With the above in mind, we’ll reveal our choices of the best sportsbooks online that cater to U.S. sports bettors. We enjoy using them because they have proven to be reliable with payouts while offering generous bonuses. They also maintain reasonable lines on our favorite sporting events. We encourage you to visit each of them to test them for yourself since that is the only way to know whether you enjoy the experience.

• Bookmaker.eu Sportsbook Review – Our 1st person review of betting at Bookmaker
• Bovada Sports – formerly known as Bodog – Scores big with regard to reliability, customer support, and coverage of the top sports. Their spreads and lines are comparable to other top online sportsbooks. For more information and access to more links and promotions check out our Bovada Sportsbook review page.
• Betonline – With so many promotions to choose from you can’t go wrong at betonline.com.

Sportsbooks Accepting Credit Card Deposits

Most sportsbooks accept bank wire transfers, person to person transfers, and money orders. Here’s a list of our top sportsbooks accepting credit card deposits:

• Bodog Sportsbook
• Betonline
• Bookmaker
• 5Dimes

 Mobile Apps for Sports betting

Once you’ve made your deposit into the online sportsbook of your choice you’ll find that getting your information about your bets is quite easy no matter where you are.

Get your updates via your mobile phone for free with:

• Bodog Sportsbook
• Bookmaker
• 5Dimes

Fantasy Sportsbetting

If you’d prefer to get in on the sportsbetting action with some daily fantasy sports for real money you’ll want to check out our Fantasy Sports Reviews before heading over to DailyJoust.com, DraftStreet.com, or FanDuel.

There are hundreds of online sportsbooks, but only a few meet our standards. Visit Bovada and Betonline to start placing your bets on your favorite sporting events.