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Understanding Wire-to-Wire Bets in Sports Betting

Wire-to-wire bets involve wagering on a team or player to lead at the end of all segments in a game. Learn how they work and their pros and cons

Claudia Hartley
Claudia Hartley

Last Updated: 2024-07-25

A. Tzamantanis

6 minutes read

Image Credit: Unsplash

Wire to wire bets, sometimes called double bets at online sportsbooks, are a popular bet type, but what does wire to wire mean? Simply, it is a bet on a person or team to be in front at the end of all segments of a game.

In different sports it a wire to wire win can mean slightly different things. For example, in football, this would be to be in front in both halves, in a round of golf in all four segments, and so on.

How Wire-to-Wire Bets Work

We already know that the meaning of wire to wire in betting is that the team/player must be winning at the end of every segment. This works a little differently depending on the number of segments in the game.

Many sports have two halves, but some are split into four or even more. However many sets your chosen sport is split into, your chosen team/player must be in the lead at the end of each set.

Wire to Wire Bet Example

Let’s take a bet on soccer as an example. This game is split into two halves, so your team needs to be winning at the end of both halves for your wire to wire bet to win.

The game is between Arsenal and Manchester United. You bet on Arsenal to win the wire to wire.

They begin the game strong and are 1-0 up at half time, this means your wire to wire bet still stands. Shortly into the second half, Manchester United equalise. Your wire to wire bet still stands, but only if Arsenal can get ahead before the end of the second half.

Thankfully, Arsenal scores one more goal, leaving the score at full time 2-1. This means your wire to wire bet pays out.

Pros and Cons of Wire-to-Wire Betting

All types of bet have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of them for wire to wire betting:

Pros of Wire to Wire Bets

●    They still pay out if the team/player has been behind during the game, as long as they’re ahead at the end of each section.
●    They can be placed on a variety of different sports.
●    They offer better odds than moneyline bets.
●    They can be placed on single games or whole tournaments.

Cons of Wire to Wire Bets

●    They are harder to win than moneyline bets.
●    The rules differ depending on the sport, which can be confusing.

Tips for Winning Wire-to-Wire Bets

There are plenty of tips that apply to all kinds of betting, such as doing your research and only betting with money that you can afford to lose. However, some more specific tips for wire to wire betting can be found below:

●    Avoid Lengthy Bets: try to avoid season long bets as these are incredibly difficult to win. Instead, opt for bets that last just one game, or at most a tournament.
●    Use Strong Starting Teams: pick teams that are well known for starting aggressively, this should help you to score the necessary points early on.
●    Understand Your Sport: wire to wire bets can differ in their requirements from sport to sport (which we’ll come to in a minute) make sure you understand the implications for your specific sport.
●    Investigate Matchup Dynamics: some players and teams fall apart when they come up against specific others, make sure to look into the dynamics of any previous matchups before placing your bets.

Wire-to-Wire Bet Meaning in Different Sports

Wire to wire bets are a common bet type in many different sports, but the term can have a slightly different meaning depending on the sport its referring to. Let’s take a look at some common sports and what a wire to wire bet means for each of them.

American Football (NFL)

American football is a common sport for placing wire to wire bets. The game is divided into four quarters, so your team needs to be in front at the end of each quarter.

Many people assume wire to wire betting means your team needs to win each quarter but this is not true. Let’s take a look at an example of a winning wire to wire bet, in which the selected team only win one quarter.

NFL Wire to Wire Example

The Dallas Cowboys are playing the New York Giants. The bet is a wire to wire on the Dallas Cowboys and the results for each quarter are as follows.

Dallas Cowboys: 19 - New York Giants: 0 - Actual Score: 19-0
Dallas Cowboys: 0 - New York Giants: 6 - Actual Score: 19-6
Dallas Cowboys: 3 - New York Giants: 3 - Actual Score:21-9
Dallas Cowboys: 0 - New York Giants: 6 - Actual Score: 21-12

Though the Dallas Cowboys only won their first quarter, they remained in front throughout the game. This means that the wire to wire bet wins.

Basketball (NBA)

Basketball is divided into two halves, so the team you choose for a wire to wire bet must be in front after the first half and the second half. It works just like an NFL wire to wire bet, as the team could have a very strong first half, then lose the second half, but still win overall.

Golf

Golf is played in rounds (usually 4), so you’re betting on an individual player to be leading at the end of each round. The player has to win at the end, a tie is not sufficient.

Soccer

Soccer is a game of two halves and in a wire to wire bet your team must be in front for both. It works exactly the same way as a basketball wire to wire bet.

Horse Racing

Horse racing works quite differently to many other sports in that your horse has to lead from the very beginning until the end. This is quite unusual and will require you to pick a front running horse, or a race that’s likely to have an unusually slow pace.

Claudia Hartley
Claudia HartleySports Betting Writer

With a decade of experience in the sports betting industry, Claudia can spot a value bet from a mile off. She prides herself on not just being a sports writer, but a fastidious researcher too.