If you have been following my blog for a little while, you will know that I adore skating; I do not only tune into it during the winter Olympics, but I try to watch and follow all of the championships (which are usually European). In a recent article of mine I mentioned that you can certainly bet on indoor sports’ games (many fans look for an online sportsbook like the betfair sportsbook for example), and today I wanted to dedicate this article to explaining the difference between two types of skating, figure skating and ice dancing, and if and how you can bet on these types of skating! If this topic is interesting to you, feel free to read on and check out other articles of mine related to the same topic.
Without any further ado, this is what you need to know about these types of skating:
Figure skating and Ice dancing are not the same, even though they both, by nature, fall into the category of skating. How are they different, then?
While both rely on skating on ice in order to perform, they are different in their presentation.
Figure skating emphasizes the athletic part of skating – maybe the one we always associate with it – the jumps, throws, spins and spirals, whereas Ice dancing emphasizes the dance performance itself. There are no throws and jumps in ice dancing, in fact, they are not allowed at all! Another big difference is that ice dancing is always done in pairs, whereas figure skating can be done both individually and in pairs.
Now that we know the basics of both figure skating and ice dancing, let me answer your next question: Can you bet on them?
Yes, like any other sport that has some bigger following, you can bet on it. However, skating tournaments are very specific as there are not many; as I’ve already mentioned, the most important tournament has to be the winter Olympics, followed by the European championships. You also have to know that all of these tournaments are held in the first quarter of the year – and that there will likely be no tournaments you can follow during the rest of the year. So, my advice is that you prepare upfront for the season of championships – research everything you can about the participants, their skills, their coaches, their programs, and you’ll be good to go.
There are a few types of odds you can bet on when it comes to both ice dancing and figure skating. You can choose between betting on:
The winner – While the bookies will give you the odds, it is once again best if you do your research prior to placing a bet. Get to know your player of choice; read up on their training, coaches, their health and their age. Their performance will be greatly affected by these four characteristics. Also, be aware that there are many differences when you bet on a male, a female or a pair; usually, for example, the older the female dancer/skater is, the fewer championships she wins. Although unfortunate, you can find this happening very often, so pay attention to that.
The program – Most of the times you will be betting on the program your player of choice chose to present during the championship. The “winner” of the best program bet is the player who has the most complex program; their performance has to be filled with complex jumps, spins and spirals.
