Volleyball ranks as the fifth most popular sport globally, boasting millions of fans and spectators. From its humble beginnings in 1895 in Massachusetts, USA, the team sport has transcended geographical boundaries. Volleyball has achieved widespread adoption across North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
Its appeal extends beyond the court, gaining a reputation in the betting industry. Sportsbooks offer an abundance of betting options for both international and domestic matches, catering to fans wanting to supplement their match-viewing experience.
But, before actually placing bets, it is paramount for bettors to understand the basics of the sport they are wagering in as well as the betting markets available for it.
Volleyball Basics
The objective of an indoor volleyball game is to earn points by strategically directing the ball over the net and forcing it to touch the ground within the opponent’s court.
Scoring System
Every exchange (rally) in volleyball is a battle for a point. The winning team in a rally earns a point and the privilege to serve for the next rally.
Most indoor volleyball matches and tournaments follow a best-of-five-set format, where victory hinges on securing three sets. The first four sets require teams to reach 25 points, while the fifth and deciding set concludes at 15 points. However, if the score reaches a tie at 24-24 in the first four sets or 14-14 in the fifth set, the match continues until one team establishes a two-point advantage.
Mechanics
Indoor volleyball features teams of twelve: six players on the court and six substitutes available on the bench. These players hold specific positions: setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, opposite hitter, libero (defensive specialist), and serving specialist.
Before the game commences, a coin toss determines which team has the privilege to serve first. This initial serve sets the rally in motion.
During the game, the server’s objective is to strike the ball over the net from behind the baseline, directing it toward the opponent’s court. The receiving team then attempts to prevent the ball from touching the ground within their court and returns it within a maximum of three contacts. Throughout the rally, both teams utilise fundamental skills and techniques to maintain ball control and score a point.
Fundamental Skills
Volleyball can be broken down into six (6) fundamental actions:
· Serving is the act of putting the ball into play to initiate a rally.
· Passing is usually done to control and direct the ball toward a teammate.
· Setting is an overhead pass to prepare the ball for a teammate, typically the hitter, for a powerful spike aimed at the opponent’s court.
· Spiking is an offensive play where a player (usually) forcefully hits the ball with an overhead arm swing to send it toward the floor on the opponent’s side of the net.
· Blocking is a defensive play where player/s jump with their arms above the net to deflect the opponent’s spike.
· Digging is a defensive strategy that comes into play when a standard underhand pass is impossible. Liberos often excel at digging, saving the ball from hitting the ground by lunging forward and bumping it back up.
How Volleyball Betting Works
Volleyball betting involves placing wagers on different match outcomes. Bettors can bet on volleyball matches from tournaments held around the world.
In a general sense, volleyball betting works in the same way as Singapore football betting—bettors can place bets on the team they think will be the outright winner of the match or delve into other aspects like set scores, points totals, or even individual performance.
Popular Volleyball Tournaments
Volleyball is among the sports that many sports enthusiasts watch out for. Many anticipate the four globally recognised major tournaments: the Volleyball Olympic Games, FIVB World Championships, FIVB World Cup, and FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Apart from these major events, there are hundreds more volleyball tournaments worldwide, including:
· Prime Volleyball League
· Volleyball Challenger Cup
· AVC Champions League
· CEV Champions League
· NORCECA Championship
· South American Volleyball Championship
· African Volleyball Championship
· Prime Volleyball League
Volleyball Betting Markets
Bettors can place their wagers on many volleyball betting markets—from traditional markets to more specialised options. Here are some of them:
Futures Betting
Futures betting involves predicting long-term outcomes before the season or tournament even begins. This market allows bettors to predict the outright tournament winner and teams in the finals. They can also place futures bets on individual awards, such as:
– Tournament Winner
– Teams To Reach the Final
– MVP of the Tournament
– Best Setter
The futures betting market is ideal for bettors who want to make long-term investments. However, before engaging in it, they must understand that futures bets require patience, as these do not provide an immediate payout due to the extended timeframe for determining the outcome.
Over/Under Betting
Over/Under betting are the markets that require bettors to predict whether the total score of both teams in a match will be greater or lower than a specific number set by the bookmaker. This number represents the bookmaker’s projected total score – considering factors like each team’s current form, performance history, and offensive and defensive ratings.
Bookmakers often offer a variety of over/under betting markets for volleyball matches. Bettors can place an over/under bet on:
– Total combined points for an entire match;
– Total combined points for a specific set; and,
– Total combined number of sets played in a match.
Handicap Betting
In certain situations where a volleyball match exhibits a significant difference in team strength, bookmakers often offer a handicap to create a more balanced wagering environment. In handicap betting, they assign a virtual point or set disadvantage to the favoured team, effectively giving the underdog a head start. Consequently, the favoured team must win by a margin exceeding the handicap for the wager to win.
For instance, Team A is a clear favourite in a match, and the bookmaker provides the team with a -1.5 set handicap. For bets on Team A to win, the team needs to win the game by a margin exceeding 1.5 sets.
Score Betting
Score betting presents a challenge for seasoned fans and bettors alike. This betting market involves guessing the final score of a match.
Score betting necessitates a deep understanding of the game and thorough research on both team’s playing styles, individual strengths, and recent performance. With this knowledge, bettors can make informed bets on the exact score outcome.
Set Winner Betting
Set winner betting allows bettors to wager on the team they think will claim victory in a specific set. This betting market caters to those who possess a strong grasp of the individual set performance of a team but may be hesitant to predict the outright winner of the match.
Proposition Betting
Proposition betting, or prop betting, is a group of betting markets that offer fans and bettors a unique avenue to engage in the game beyond the traditional wagers on winners or scores. These markets focus on specific occurrences within a match or individual player performance.
Some examples of props betting markets in volleyball are:
– Team to Start the Rally
– Highest-Scoring Team in a Match
– Player to Score the Most Points in a Match
Where to Place Your Volleyball Bets?
88ProAsia is a trusted platform for online sport betting in Singapore and Malaysia for bettors wanting to bet on different volleyball tournaments. We provide a wide range of betting markets as well as offer the best odds, payouts, and bonus promotions to provide our clients with the best betting experience.
To start your basketball betting journey, register for an account at https://88proasia.com/.
