Prop betting: What is it, how does it work and how to bet on props

One of the most popular forms of sports betting is prop betting, which involves wagering on a specific outcome usually not tied to the overall game result. When you bet on a point spread, total or money line, you are wagering on a game outcome while a prop bet is a more targeted wager looking at one area, usually a particular statistical category. The lines for prop bets are derived from oddsmakers in a similar way to game lines. We'll take a look at what prop betting is, how it works and some of the best strategies when betting on props at the best sportsbook apps. Bet props at DraftKings Sportsbook:

Types of props

Player Props

There are many types of prop bets you can make at top sportsbooks, but the most common one is a player prop bet. This involves betting on a particular player's production for a specific statistic. The Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, and let's say you want to bet on Dak Prescott's passing yards. DraftKings allows you to pick a yardage total you'd like to bet on and gives dynamic odds for different totals. For example, you can bet on Prescott to throw for 240+ yards at -147 (wager $147 to win $100) but if you increase that number to 250+ yards, the odds go to -116 (wager $116 to win $100). If you went down to 230+ yards, the odds move to -187 (wager $187 to win $100). Player props are especially popular in NBA betting and sportsbook promos.

Game Props

Game props are also offered, and they usually involve statistical achievements either team can reach or a combination of both teams. Using the same Eagles vs. Cowboys example, DraftKings offers a game prop for either team to score 30+ points with "Yes" priced at -110 and "No" priced at -120. If you bet "Yes", you'll win as long as either the Eagles or Cowboys score 30 points, regardless of the game's outcome. If you bet "No", you'll win if both teams score fewer than 30 points. There are also game props for total touchdowns scored, how many yards the longest touchdown scored will account for and which team gets to certain points milestones first.

Team Props

Team props are similar to game props, but they only involve one team rather than both. With the same Eagles vs. Cowboys example, you can bet on how many points and touchdowns one team will score, along with more unique outcomes such as whether a team will post a shutout or if a team will come from behind to win the game.

There are also season-long props available, which usually involve player statistics. These could be a player's passing yards, points scored, goals scored, or even fouls committed during an entire season.

Bet different prop bet types at FanDuel Sportsbook here:

Understanding prop betting odds in different sports and leagues

In most cases, the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) have similar prop betting markets available for every game and for futures. Here's a look at some examples of prop bets in different leagues and how to read lines on prop bets.

NFL prop betting

Using the above Eagles vs. Cowboys game prop example for either team to score 30+ points, both sides were fairly even at -110 and -120. This means the oddsmakers are pricing this close to 50-50 on whether a team scores 30+, but there's a slight lean towards neither team hitting that mark. If you go to either team to score 40+ points, "Yes' jumps to +550 and "No" goes to -1000.

A "+" sign indicates that side of the prop is seen as less likely to hit in the eyes of the oddsmakers, while the "-" is seen as more likely. -110 odds are standard when both sides are equal, and slight deviations from this number shouldn't be weighed heavily if both sides of the prop remain at "-" odds.

NBA prop betting

Let's look at a season-long prop example for the NBA. The reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder had a win total for the 2025-26 season set at 62.5 (Over +100, Under -120) at DraftKings. If the Thunder win 63+ games, all bets on the Over will cash. If the Thunder win 62 or fewer games, the Under will cash. Since there's a +100 on the Over side at the moment, the odds imply Oklahoma City is less likely to win 63 or more games, but it's close.

NHL prop betting

We'll look at an awards prop in the NHL. Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is the favorite to win the Hart Trophy, which is given to the league MVP, in 2025-26 at DraftKings. However, he's priced at +200 while the next player, Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon, is priced at +600. This is an instance where even the favorite is at plus odds. Because only one player can win MVP, it's harder to pinpoint who will have a dominant season and get the most votes. As games are played, the lines in this market will shift and eventually somebody will become the clear odds-on favorite.

MLB prop betting

Sportsbooks offer plenty of MLB player props, which are predominantly divided between batters and pitchers. Let's use a pitching prop as an example here and say Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal's strikeouts line for a particular game is set at 8.5 (Over +110, Under -145). This means the odds imply Skubal is more likely to tally eight or fewer strikeouts in this outing. These lines can change based on how the market is betting on a prop. If there's more action from respected bettors on the Under leading up to the game, oddsmakers will usually shift the odds to incentivize betting on the Over to balance their risk.

Skubal's performance in this game could impact future strikeout prop lines. If he were to strike out 12 batters in this game, it's possible oddsmakers will raise his strikeouts prop line for the next game to 9.5 or even 10.5. If he were to only tally four strikeouts, the line could be lowered to 7.5 for the next contest.

Prop bets are also available for sports like soccer, golf and tennis. These can be goal scorers in soccer, how many shots a particular hole will take for a golfer to complete and how many sets a tennis player will win during a particular match.

Use the promo code CBSBET365 and sign up for Bet365 Sportsbook for more prop betting:

Special laws for prop betting in college sports

Many states have sports betting regulations that prohibit wagering on college sports. For example, in Illinois, bettors cannot wager on college teams from the state or games involving college teams from the state, but can wager on college teams outside of the state and games involving two teams outside of the state. This also occurs with prop bets.

The thinking behind this is that "unpaid" college athletes could be more likely to intentionally game the system on one side of a prop bet to make money through intermediaries. With the rise of NIL money in addition to athletic scholarships, this could theoretically be less of a concern in the future since athletes don't need to engage in fixing games for personal gain. Nonetheless, some states still restrict betting on college sports in some fashion.

Those states are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., Washington and Wisconsin.

Best sportsbook to bet props

You can bet on props at nearly every sportsbook and it's important to make sure you're looking at multiple books to get the best value. Some sportsbooks will have slight adjustments on props when it comes to the lines, while others may have entirely different values for the props themselves.

Tips and advice for prop betting

Because there's so much data available, player prop betting is usually more favorable than betting on game or team props. Player props do carry injury risk, especially if you're venturing into awards and futures props, but bettors can generally get enough information to make educated wagers on a game-to-game basis. Some sportsbooks have programs where bettors can get insurance for players leaving early in games with injuries, which makes betting on Overs for player props more enticing.

NBA player prop betting can be particularly profitable, as there are multiple games over the course of a week. For example, Luka Doncic had a stretch of six consecutive triple-doubles in the 2023-24 season, and those who kept backing Doncic to record a triple-double likely saw huge returns. If your state allows betting on college player props, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love scored a touchdown in every regular-season game in 2024. While the oddsmakers likely adjusted lines to the point where there wasn't much of a return on Love scoring, the winnings added up for bettors who backed Love for every game.

If there is one sport where player props might not be as favorable, it's hitter props in baseball. Batters usually get three or four plate appearances in any given game, and there's unnecessary risk in limiting your prop bet to those three or four outcomes. In NFL, NBA and NHL games, players are usually in action for larger periods of time and have more opportunities to connect on their particular player props.

Generally, betting Overs is the trend for the public. Therefore, there's inherent value in betting unders for player props. Across the full season, unders on NFL player props have cashed on nearly 60% of wagers for multiple seasons.

FAQ

What does prop mean in betting?

A prop is a specific outcome usually involving a player or team, but can include multiple teams. It is usually not tied to the game result (spread, total, money line).

What are NBA prop bets?

NBA prop bets usually refer to NBA player props, which are considered among the most popular bets. These are predictions for players to go Over or Under in particular statistical categories. However, NBA prop bets can also be team win totals, awards and whether a team makes the playoffs or not.

What is the best prop betting site?

All top sportsbooks offer props in some fashion, though the lines and odds may be slightly different at each one. It's important to look at multiple sportsbooks to see if there's better value being offered at one over the other but there's no consensus "best" prop betting site.

What is a receiving prop?

A receiving prop is seen in football and involves offensive skill players who catch the ball. These can be running backs, receivers or tight ends. Receiving props are usually limited to receiving yards and receptions, as receiving touchdowns would fall under "touchdown scorer" props.