Figure skating is a truly “thoroughbred” sport, one of the oldest winter disciplines in the world. Back in 1871, figure skating was recognized as a sport, and the first official competitions were held in 1882 in Vienna. Today, figure skating bets can be found on the websites of many Russian bookmakers (especially during the Olympics), and the number of players interested in this is also increasing. In this article, we will tell you about the main thing that is important to consider for everyone who wants to make a bet with a bookmaker on figure skating.
In Russia, everything related to figure skating is quite popular – in the Soviet Union, the foundation was laid for a school famous all over the world, and nowadays athletes from the post-Soviet space are successfully continuing their victorious traditions.
In this regard, a powerful community of figure skating fans has developed in Russia, closely following the life of athletes on and off the ice. And as for the rates, Russia is one of the few countries where there is a more or less stable demand for bookmaker offers in this sport.
Also, figure skating has earned the love of fans in Japan, Canada and the United States, in some European countries. Betting on figure skating is especially popular during the period of the Olympic Games.
Types of figure skating bets
Winner . The most popular type of betting in figure skating among the public is the bet on the winner. It’s simple – there are several applicants in the line, usually no more than 8-10, each of whom has hypothetical chances of winning on the sum of the two programs.
True, 2-3 participants / participants or pairs usually have significant chances, the coefficients of which are at least within 10. favorites.
Individual program winner . Everything is the same as in the bets on the winner, only the calculation takes place in the short and free programs separately. As in any particular case in betting, the probability of an unexpected outcome is higher, and the “dark horse” has more chances to show the perfect ride on a single day and outrun the favorites.
This is especially true for the short program. A couple of falls on quadruple jumps – and the clear favorite goes to prepare for the free program with a lag of several points.
Getting into the prizes . Most skaters find it difficult to fight directly for victory, and many bookmakers offer to bet on getting a participant in a certain top.
In most cases, this is top-3, getting into the prizes, but the gradation can be wider – top-5, top-10, and so on. Such long “tops” can often be found in lines for large competitions like the Olympics.
Total points . The complexity of the programs and the level of risk on the ice are growing every year, which leads to new records in the points scored. In some cases, bookmakers also give such a list, in which the player can make a prediction on the number of points scored by the skater – more or less than the specified mark.
Most often, points can be placed on totals both within the framework of the entire competition and on individual programs of the type. A good option if you are closely studying the development of a certain skater / skater or pair, but do not want to depend on the results of your opponents in your bet.
Comparison of participants . “Who is higher” is a typical rate for any individual sport, but in figure skating such a painting, unfortunately, can not be found everywhere. In this line, you can predict which of the proposed two skaters or pairs will be higher in the table based on the results of two skates or one program.
This type of bet can be interesting, for example, for those who follow a certain coach and believe that one of the players is more persistent than the other, leading to victory in the tournament. And in general, figure skating is a sport historically filled with hot duels, the vicissitudes of which are especially exciting to follow.
How to bet on figure skating
The only way to profitable figure skating bets is to thoroughly study the skaters, including their personal and lesser lives. Why “not very personal”? The fact is that skaters are often quite open people, especially abroad, who willingly give interviews and use social networks.
Preparing for tournaments with skaters
In the same interviews with thematic publications, figure skaters sometimes too willingly talk about their shape and health problems, sometimes even about their personal lives and some completely philosophical abstract things. All this information and countless fan videos from open and semi-closed rentals should be a guiding star for anyone looking to bet on figure skating.
The winter season is rather short, and there are not many competitions for forecasting. Therefore, it is almost impossible to track the current competitive form of an athlete or a pair. At the risk of being punctured at a low odds per favorite, it is worth clinging to any straw of information before placing a bet. Men’s skating is more stable, but even there injury or any illness, cold can throw the favorite off the throne.
Sports couples and ice dancing have their own risk factors associated primarily with the “chemistry” in the duet. The more experienced the pair, the more stable, and it usually takes many years for skaters to become one on the ice. Betting on a suddenly shot young couple who have been together for less than 2 years can be quite dangerous. Relations in new couples are usually not very stable, and here it is already important how the duo coach can maintain balance in his work.
In women’s single skating, the situation is the opposite, and it is often the red flag of the growing up of the skaters. It is not a fact that your 15-year-old favorite, tearing apart her rivals with her difficult, but weightless jumps like a feather, will be able to at least get into the prizes in a year.
Top women’s skating is getting younger, but at the same time, the age of young winners is rather short. A shift in the center of gravity and other problems that accompany the transformation of a girl into a woman often get in the way of the bright prospects of an early champion.
We follow the judges
You always need to keep the judging factor in mind. After 2004, when the old “6.0” rating system was abolished, there were fewer opportunities for judicial manipulation, however, what to hide, the problem still exists. Therefore, under certain circumstances, the results can be quite unexpected.
When choosing a bet, one should look at the combination of the tournament venue and the nationality of the appointed judges. For example, if the championship is held in North America, then the likelihood of a favorable attitude of the Canadian or Israeli judges towards the skaters from the USA is much higher. This also applies to some Eastern European countries.
The player must have basic information about the political situation in the International Skating Union (ISU), the head of figure skating. In different periods, certain countries have had more or less lobbies in the organization. The sport is subjective, and it is important to know at least basic information about the people who form the panels of judges.