As a spectacle, volleyball is a fun sport to watch. It is inclusive and suitable for families, with men, women and children playing both competitively and for fun. It's a great way to keep fit.
It is physically demanding and puts even the fittest athletes to the test – but it is incredibly exciting and requires immense skill and focus.
However, it is worth nothing that the rules of volleyball differ depending on which version of the sport you are playing.
Volleyball Betting Guide
There are two main versions of volleyball: indoor and beach. Sport betting fans who have watched volleyball at the Olympic Games will be aware of both formats.
As is the case with every sport, it is vital to learn the rules of volleyball in order to find the best way to bet on volleyball going forward.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important volleyball betting tips. With our guide (and a bit of luck), you will be a volleyball betting expert in no time!
Volleyball Betting Tips
When it comes to betting on volleyball, there are very few differences between indoor and beach volleyball, with the exception of the total points of course.
Below, we have looked at some of the most popular volleyball tips and betting markets. First, though, let's have a quick run through the volleyball rules.
Volleyball Rules
The primary objective of volleyball is to score more points than the other team. You can score points by making a successful play or by forcing the opposing side into making a mistake.
Both forms of volleyball involve two teams and a net – teams stand on opposite sides of the net. Players can only use their arms to hit the ball and the ball is not allowed to bounce. In the very simplest of terms, these are the basic rules of volleyball.
Matches are played across a range of sets, with each set determined by a number of points. In indoor volleyball, a team must reach 25 points with a two-point margin in order to win the set while the points target in beach volleyball is 21 points.
Furthermore, another major difference is that an indoor volleyball team is made up of six players while there are just two players per team in beach volleyball. This contrast leads to a clear shift in strategy in the various types of volleyball.
Volleyball Match Tips
As is the case in almost every sport, match betting is the easiest and most convenient way to place a bet on volleyball. Simply find the volleyball betting odds, select the competition that you would like to bet on and then access the match betting list.
From here, you can back the home or away team – there are no draws in volleyball so that is something to consider when looking at volleyball odds.
Volleyball betting tips and odds on major events, such as the Olympic Games, will usually be available well in advance.
Some volleyball betting odds can be one-sided though and punters may wish to look at the handicap betting markets to enhance odds.
Here, you could bet on the heavy favourites to win with a -1.5 handicap, which means they would need to win by two clear sets.
By the same token, the 1.5 handicap on the underdogs is worth considering if you think they are overpriced. Here, it doesn’t matter if your selection loses by one set or wins the match – it would be a winning volleyball bet either way.
Volleyball Points Tips
In addition, total points betting is very popular in both forms of volleyball.
Punters can guess how many points will be scored throughout a match – though it is worth remembering that indoor volleyball matches can be a maximum of five sets while beach volleyball is best of three.
In an indoor volleyball match, the minimum number of points that can be scored is 75. This is otherwise known as the perfect game and can only happen if a team wins 25-0 in all three sets, which is obviously very rare.
Your typical indoor volleyball match is usually around 136 points. Punters should bear this in mind when placing a bet on volleyball total points.
If the line is set at 134.5, that average may tempt you to bet on the overs but be sure to research volleyball betting tips thoroughly before getting involved.
Volleyball Score Tips
This particular type of volleyball bet has links to the match bet section but instead requires you to back a specific score.
So for example, you could back any score from 3-0 to 3-2 for indoor volleyball while predicting any score from 2-0 to 2-1 in beach volleyball.
Just be aware when betting on volleyball that some bookmakers will have different ways of naming the teams. Some will label the competing teams as ‘home’ and ‘away’ teams while others may label them as ‘team 1’ and ‘team 2’.
Moreover, punters can find volleyball betting odds for a team to win a particular set. If you are finding it tough to predict an outright winner but fancy one team to make a fast start and win the opener, this might be the type of volleyball bet for you.
You can also bet on the total points scored in a particular bet – this will usually be a line set at a particular figure.
In indoor volleyball, it is usually around the 41.5 points mark while it is slightly lower in beach volleyball due to the different in points required to win a set.
Volleyball Tournament Tips
Long term betting markets are extremely popular when it comes to volleyball, with plenty of punters looking for Olympics odds well in advance.
Beach volleyball is especially popular at the Olympic Games and punters looking to bet on volleyball can find odds on this event.
Prior to the Olympics, most volleyball betting odds will allow punters to bet on a team to win a medal rather than simply backing an outright gold medal winner.
This is similar to an each way bet in other sports and just gives punters added security with their volleyball bet.
Furthermore, many volleyball tournaments follow a group stage format before the knockout stages and you can often place a volleyball bet on a team to win a group.
If you fancy an up-and-coming team to shine in the group stages but tail off in the later rounds, this is certainly an option to consider.
The biggest indoor volleyball tournament is the FIVB World Championship, which takes place every four years. Meanwhile, there is also a World Cup although this is not quite as prestigious as the World Championship.
Over in beach volleyball, the Beach Volleyball World Championships is held every two years and the men’s and women’s tournaments run alongside each other.
It is widely regarded as the pinnacle of beach volleyball and is certainly a volleyball betting event to target. However, the Olympic Games is the event that most sports betting fans focus on.
It would be fair to state that volleyball is something of a niche sport but it is extremely popular at the Olympics and punters have plenty of opportunities to build a volleyball accumulator at the Games.
Volleyball Tips At 888sport
Now it is time to put your volleyball betting knowledge to the test. Here at 888sport, you can find the latest volleyball betting tips, news and odds ahead of upcoming competitions.
With tournaments taking place around the world, you won’t have to wait long to place a bet on volleyball. Keep an eye on the 888sport volleyball betting section for the biggest events!
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
