Biathlon is not one of the most popular sports in Russia, but it is gaining more and more fans every year. This is largely explained by the amazing telegenic nature of this sport: it’s not boring, it’s fun, and it’s always beautiful, because biathlon competitions are regularly broadcast on many of the most popular sports channels in the world. Spectacular sports cannot be ignored by betting enthusiasts or bookmakers, which means that betting on biathlon deserves special attention, careful consideration and explanation of the main nuances.

From the point of view of forecasting, this sport is also much more interesting than its relatives in the Winter Olympic Games. The fact is that in addition to boring ski runs, which are somewhat boring to watch, biathlon races also include shooting, which adds an element of randomness to the results of the competition. It is this factor that attracts many people in biathlon betting to a greater extent.

Dignities

A large number of valuables. Despite the fact that in most cases the odds in biathlon are subject to a margin above the average, a competent player will certainly be able to find valui in the positions “Who is higher” and”Who will make more mistakes”. Usually, the analytical centers of the offices do not bother much with biathlon, and therefore the bookmaker can periodically give unreasonably high odds, which can be used by competent players.

Ability to “fork” on an early line. The above factors also contribute to the fact that even despite the high margin, forks are formed between the coefficients of some pairs in the “Who is higher” column in different gambling establishments. Naturally, the coefficients are quickly equalized, but the most efficient “forks” periodically have time to catch the right option.

P.S. The Legalbet website reminds that the strategy of playing on betting “forks” may entail sanctions against the gaming account from the bookmaker’s office.

Disadvantages

High margin. Given the low popularity of this sport, it is not surprising that the margin in betting on biathlon in bookmakers is traditionally high. However, non-spoiled fans of these bets have to put up with this injustice, because they simply have no alternative.

Low bid limits. Most often, high margins go side-by-side with low bid limits. Despite the fact that biathlon is very popular in the Scandinavian countries (as well as Austria and Germany), and despite regular broadcasts on leading European sports channels, many bookmakers still cannot bet on biathlon at all. For many of those who still include competitions in this sport in the line, everything is limited only to the position of “Race Winner”. That is why fans of biathlon betting usually play in one office for winter sports, and in another they make all the other bets.It is unlikely that you will find a bookmaker’s office that will allow you to bet several tens of thousands of rubles on one outcome of a biathlon race (on average, the maximum is 10,000-15,000 rubles).

Many companies do not offer bets on biathlon at all. Despite the fact that biathlon is very popular in the Scandinavian countries (as well as Austria and Germany), and despite regular broadcasts on leading European sports channels, many bookmakers still cannot bet on biathlon at all. For many of those who still include competitions in this sport in the line, everything is limited only to the position of “Race Winner”. That is why fans of biathlon betting usually play in one office for winter sports, and in another they make all the other bets.

Rare live content. Only a few bookmakers offer live bets on biathlon. Due to the complexity of providing such bets on such dynamically changing races, as well as due to the not very high popularity of biathlon in principle, bookmakers offer live in an extremely compressed, cropped form with constant pauses, suspensions and changes in odds. It is rather difficult to call this whole chaotic process a full-fledged live.

The role of the randomness factor. All results in sports are somewhat random, but in biathlon, the luck factor often comes to the fore. The fact is that the fate of the entire race here can be decided by a light breeze at an unnecessary moment, or vice versa, a minute’s calm during bad weather. These factors relate to the elements of the race that are not predictable, which makes biathlon one of the most” lottery ” sports.

Seasonality factor. The fact is that major biathlon competitions are held only from November to March. Thus, biathlon betting enthusiasts are forced to stand idle for more than half a year. In addition, after the start of a new season, for such a long break in the form of athletes, serious changes often occur that make the opening stages of the World Cup predictable only for insiders of this sport.

Types of bids

The winner of the race. This position has a telling name and suggests guessing which of the race participants will take the first place. Given that there are usually no clear favorites in this sport, the coefficient for the main favorite of the race is rarely lower than 2.5. Given the large number of proposed candidates for victory, the margin in this case is very solid.

Who will be in the top three? Everything related to the winner of the race also applies to this position, in which you are asked to guess which of the riders will get on the podium at the end of the runs. Here, odds on favorites will often fall below the 1.4 mark.

Who is higher. This position is traditionally the most popular among fans of biathlon betting. It is not offered by all bookmakers, but all offices that offer more or less high-quality bets on winter sports invariably represent these positions. So, at the World Championship races, you can find up to 30 comparisons, in each of which you can predict which of the pair of drivers will be higher at the end of the race. This type of bet also has a solid margin.

Who will make the most mistakes? This position is much rarer in the lines of bookmakers, and therefore is in high demand. Most often, the upper limits of bets on this position are extremely small, and therefore large players will not be interested in betting on the number of misses. For others, this is a great chance to get a solid dose of adrenaline and add “pepper” to watching the race.

Other suggestions. In addition, some bookmakers with biathlon bets also offer to place bets on the number of misses with a handicap, on individual total misses, pair total misses, places in the top six, on the country whose representative will win the race, etc. The number and types of offers are limited solely by the imagination of the analytical center of the bookmaker’s office.

Pre-race analysis

Before you start betting on a biathlon race, you need to analyze all possible layouts. Pre-race analysis in biathlon is significantly different from what is needed in team sports or in tennis, since it is not only single, but also extremely dependent on a large number of random factors.

Current form of athletes. You will get the most accurate information for reflection by studying the shooting statistics of athletes over the past five or six starts. This indicator will give a clear idea of how well each individual biathlete has recently felt the rifle. Pay attention to the net move indicator, which also has a serious impact on the final result. All this information can be obtained in a digestible form on the official IBU website.

Lube. Those who are at least a little fond of cross-country skiing and biathlon in particular, will undoubtedly confirm that getting into the grease is the key to a successful race. You can find out whether or not the team members got into the grease when watching the pre-race warm-up or from the previous race, if it took place a little earlier in the day. Usually, representatives of the men’s and women’s teams of the same country use the same lubrication technology, and therefore you can draw conclusions about the prospects of each team’s course from the first race of the day.

Motivation. As in any other sport, motivation in biathlon plays a key role: it is in many ways that athletes are “killed” at the distance to the finish line, saving every second. Do not neglect to study the overall standings of the competition before placing a bet. In addition, motivation can be affected by the home stages of competitions and changes in your personal life. In general, this is a very important element of analysis that should not be ignored by those who are going to bet on biathlon.

Weather. The weather is also very important in biathlon betting. For example, if the snow increases, experienced players prefer riders who are in the first half of the starting protocol, because by the time the second half starts, the track will already be broken, and the speed of later starting biathletes will drop significantly. The weather has an even greater impact on shooting. For example, if you know that there will be bad weather during the race, you can pay attention to bets on biathletes who have a good course, and not good shooting: at the firing line, bad weather will equalize the chances, and at the distance, speed will be better.

Main types of biathlon races

Individual version. The individual race for men is held on 20 km, for women – on 15 km. Athletes go through five rounds with four firing lines: the first and third — lying down, the second and fourth-standing. For each miss, a penalty minute is added to the distance covered. The winners of such a race are most often biathletes who have a high percentage of hitting targets.

Sprint. This type of race is held for men at a distance of 10 km, and for women — at 7.5 km. Biathletes go through three rounds and shoot at targets at two firing lines. Just like in the classics, standing and lying down. For mistakes, athletes pass penalty rounds. The penalty circle is 150 meters long and takes approximately 22-25 seconds to complete.

Race with pursuit. This discipline is held based on the results of a sprint race. Biathletes start with the same second gap from each other in which they finished the sprint. The men’s race is 12.5 km, the women’s race is 10 km. Athletes overcome 4 firing lines (2 stands and recumbents each).

Mass start. The best 30 biathletes in the overall World Cup standings will take part in the mass start. Men cover a distance of 15 km, and women – 10 km.

Relay race. A special line is worth highlighting the men’s and women’s relay races. Each team consists of 4 biathletes. Each of them passes 2 firing lines (stand and lie down). For men, the distance is 7.5 km, for women — 6 km.

Which bookmakers can bet on biathlon?

Despite the fact that this sport is not included in the top 4 most popular in Russia, you can place a bet on many sites — you can choose the top 10 bookmakers for sure. Note that you can’t see biathlon in the line all year round: as a rule, quotes appear on the eve of competitions.

As a rule, Russian players consider the best bookmaker for betting on biathlon to be the bookmaker’s office “1xStavka”, and this is primarily due to the rich selection of bets. Even before the start of the next competition, you can find bets on its results, on who will take a higher place, as well as on the individual performance of a particular biathlete. If we are talking about the Biathlon World Cup, bets will always be available on the number of medals for each team, as well as on the number of gold medals in different disciplines.

The large selection of biathlon bets at the 1xStavka bookmaker office also explains the company’s high position in the Russian sports market.Rating of bookmakers by the choice of bets, as well as inIn the Legalbet People’s Rating.

Of course, 1xStavka is not the only online bookmaker that accepts biathlon bets. Also, on the eve of the season and throughout its duration, they can be found in the lines of bookmakers “Parimatch ” i “Bet League”.

You can get acquainted with the entire list of companies that have the legal right to accept bets on biathlon and not only on the page dedicated to online bookmakers in Russia.