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Do you want to bet on curling? Read on.
Curling is a famous team sport in some countries around the world. It is a sport where two teams will compete by taking turns to slide granite stones to reach a target called the House. Curling is a Paralympic and Olympic winter sport with categories for Men's, Women's, Mixed Doubles, and Mixed Wheelchair teams.
The traditional curling teams have four players, and there are only one male and one female for the mixed doubles. All these categories can have an Alternate, a substitute whenever they need one. The teams must also designate a Skip (team captain) and a Vice-Skip.
Over the past years, betting on curling matches has become more prevalent, especially in Canada. Betting on curling is also accessible for almost everyone who uses tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets that can connect to the internet.
Read on to know more about how to bet on curling.
Betting on Curling
If you want to learn more about betting on curling, you need to familiarise yourself with the sport first. You need to have information about the essential details of how the game works.
1. How to Play Curling
Curling requires team players to perform specific roles. A skip's role is to lead the team with directions to execute plays to win the competition. They are usually standing at the end of the sheet around the target. The vice-skip will assume the skip's role for the team when the skip is delivering their granite stones.
Each team player will deliver two granite stones, alternating with their opponents in every round. There are eight stones in a set with a designated handle colour for every team. During World Curling events, they use yellow or red handle colours.
The playing positions for a curling team are Lead, Second, Third, and Fourth. The Lead player is responsible for delivering the first two granite stones. The Second player will play for the third and fourth granite stones. The Third player will direct the fifth and sixth stones, while the Fourth player will have the last two granite stones. It is also common for Skips to play as the Fourth player, but it is not essential.
Mixed doubles in curling have both teams playing for five granite stones each. Each team will start with one granite stone that is pre-placed, which will allow them to score six points in reaching the target. A player in mixed doubles will play the first and fifth granite stones, and the second player will play the second, third, and fourth granite stones.
The Sheet
Curling teams play on a long strip of ice called the Sheet. It is five meters wide and more than 45 meters long. There are two circles (also known as Houses) at the end of each sheet representing the curling teams' target. The house has four rings that would guide the players and define which granite stones are closest to the Button, the centre of the target.
2. Ways to Bet on Curling
If you want to try betting on curling, you need to know your options, choosing ways to bet on the sport. The two main ways of betting on curling are also the same as the other sports. These are:
Moneyline
In curling, betting on the Moneyline is the same as other sports. Bettors can place their wagers on a curling team they think would win a match. You can choose from the posted Moneyline odds and receive your payout if the team you pick wins as a bettor. You may expect changes in the odds before the match starts, but you need to place your wager ahead of time. There are tiebreakers in curling matches, which means you cannot bet on draw results.
Totals
Totals line betting in curling is also the same with other sports. You can bet on a combined final score over or under a line that oddsmakers offer. There would be posted totals odds that you can place your wager on a curling team and receive your payout if they win. It is also possible that betting lines and odds will change before the match starts, making it essential for you to place your bets ahead of the scheduled match.
3. Curling Events
Here are the curling events that you can place your bets on.
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier event is a men's curling championship in Canada. It is usually held in March in various host cities in Canada and a chosen city by the curling club Curling Canada.
Sixteen teams participate in the Tim Hortons Brier event: 2 teams from Ontario, provincial champions representatives from different Canadian territories and provinces, and the defending champions.
The grand winner of the Tim Hortons Brier will represent Canada in the World Curling Championships, the most popular curling event globally.
Scotties Tournaments of Hearts
The Scotties Tournaments of Hearts is a women's curling championship event in Canada, held every February every year. Different cities host this event, and Curling Canada designates a curling club.
Sixteen teams participate in this event. The defending champions, 14 provincial champions represent Curling Canada associations and those who win in a play-in match between two top teams of the country without a provincial title.
The winning curling team will represent the country in the women's world curling championships and carry the name Team Canada.
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships is the curling world championship that features different national championship teams and members of the World Curling Federation. The World Curling Federation organizes the event happens the end of March through early April. The different World Curling Federation member countries host the event every even year, while Canada hosts the event in odd years.
Women's World Curling Championships
Organized by the World Curling Federation, the Women's World Curling Championships feature national championship curling teams members of the World Curling Federation. This event happens in various locations from the end of March through early April.
The other members of the World Curling Federation host the Women's World Curling Championships in odd years, while Canada hosts in even years.
Olympic Curling
The start of the Olympic Games in 1924 included curling, but it was not an official Olympic Sport until the Nagano Games in 1998. Since the Nagano Games, Canada has reigned supreme with the men's and women's Olympic Curling. The Olympic Curling showcases men's, women's, and mixed doubles events from more than ten countries.
4. Curling Betting Rules
There are basic curling betting rules that many sportsbooks require bettors to follow. Here are the rules included:
- Bettors must settle their bets based on the outcome of different ends unless specified.
- Not all jurisdictions may offer to bet on curling.
Betting on Curling over Other Sports
There are only limited curling events that you can find in the market, and it makes it easy for bettors to know more about the curling teams and players that participate. With just a little research, you will have an advantage on oddsmakers over NBA odds, NHL odds, or NFL odds over the curling market's low ranks.
Betting Tips for Curling
It is easy to bet on curling, but you will need extra effort to consistently choose the teams and players. To help you with betting on curling, here are some tips to consider:
- Conduct in-depth research about the teams and players of curling before placing your bets. You must know how these teams or players perform in the sport with consistency and dedication to help you win in betting on curling.
- You may bet on Canada because they have the most successful curling teams globally. Since 1959, they have had 36 World Curling Championships and 17 World Women's Curling Championships since 1979, which shows how they have dominated these events since they began. The country also won gold in the Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014 while in 1998 and 2002, they won silver.
Canada's women's team also won gold in 1998 and 2014, silver in 2010, and bronze in 2002 and 2006, showing Canada's dominance in curling events and giving you a better chance of winning your bets with them.
- It will also help you make the right decisions if you shop around for the best offers on curling events. You may search for the best offers at various mobile and online sportsbooks.
5. Ways to Watch Curling
If you want to watch curling events, some tournaments air on TVs, such as The Scotties Tournament of Hearts, World Women's Curling Championship, and Tim Hortons Brier. There are also live streamings available on various websites that you can easily access with any gadget with an internet connection.
Final Thoughts
Betting on curling is an exciting way of gambling in sports. There are also many opportunities to increase your chances of winning because only a few teams and players participate in curling events, unlike in other sports. Betting on curling can be a good investment if you prepare correctly and have the confidence to win your bets.
Are you ready to bet on curling?
