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The BSP look to one sunday to get good. Instead they go broke.
(For entertainment purposes only) [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] <font color="white"> I'm feeling the spirit of Scalf </font>
6 team parlay, $10 to win $449.35

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As a noob bettor, I've been asking about the EV of parlays and basically what people have been telling me is that outside of fun bets or correlated parlays, it's not worth it.

This is the textbook "fun bet" that I should place $5 on every week. I wonder how much I would have won if I did that every week.

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I decided to bet this because I hated the whole board. I was considering a 5 play teaser getting as many 'over the zero' numbers as I could. I just couldn't do it.

Parlays depend on the sport. In hockey, I will parlay large favorites because I don't want to put up the cash. The EV of the parlay depends on the EV of the individual bets. If I like detroit -160 and ottawa -200, and think there is +EV in BOTH lines, then the +EV of the parlay isn't changed much from betting them seperately. What has changed is the variance. I will win less often, but I will lose less when I do lose and win more when I do win. Since they are both favorites, the change in variance is smaller than if they were underdogs. (one of the math wizards can show a proof if they like.)
As for other sports, a lot of books won't give you a true parlay odds for the wager made. For instance a 4 team nfl parlay may pay 10/1. the true parlay odds are 12/1. On a two teamer the payoff is 2.6/1 with the true odds being 2.65/1. As you can see, any +EV on the individual teams is going straight down the drain.

I have a raging headache, so some basic math may be off a little. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]