Prop bets explained: how player props work & why leagues worry

A plain guide to what prop bets are, how sportsbooks price & void them, & the betting cases that have led leagues & regulators to restrict them.

What a prop bet is

A proposition bet, usually shortened to prop bet or prop, is defined by Wikipedia as “a bet made regarding the occurrence or non-occurrence during a game” of an event not directly affecting the game’s outcome. Wikipedia separates props from the general bets for or against a team or on the total number of points scored.

The betting education site Action Network describes a prop as a wager “that is not directly tied to the final score or final outcome.” It says almost anything but the point spread (a bet on the winning margin), the total (a bet on combined points) & the moneyline (a bet on the winner) can be considered a prop.

Wikipedia notes that realistically any statistically discrete event in a match could be bet on. Action Network says sportsbooks now offer hundreds of prop bets on every NFL game.

Player, game & novelty props

Action Network sorts props into three broad categories. Player props cover anything pertaining to a player’s statistics or outcomes, such as LeBron James over or under 8.5 assists, Patrick Mahomes over or under 255 passing yards, or Max Scherzer over or under 8 strikeouts.

“Over or under” means the sportsbook sets a line & the bettor chooses whether the player’s final figure will land above or below it. A line ending in .5, such as 8.5 assists, cannot be hit exactly, so one side must win.

Game props concern events in the match rather than one player. Action Network’s examples include which team will score first, which team will reach 10 points first, & the longest touchdown over or under 47.5 yards.

Novelty props, in Action Network’s words, “only pop up during big events like the Super Bowl” & take place on the periphery rather than within the game. Its examples are the coin toss, the colour of the Gatorade bath poured on the winning coach & the length of the national anthem.

Wikipedia adds wardrobe choices of Super Bowl halftime performers to that list. It also says some jurisdictions do not allow casinos to offer any non-sport proposition bets, though such bets can often be found online.

How props are priced

Action Network says that “for low-event props like touchdowns, the juice will often be higher on one side.”

Its example is Patrick Mahomes over or under 1.5 touchdowns. To bet the over, you need to risk $230 to win $100, while a $100 bet on the under pays $180, which shows the book rating the over as the likelier outcome.

Action Network also says that “betting limits are low for these props,” meaning sportsbooks cap how much can be staked on them.

If the player does not play

A void, or cancelled bet, returns the stake. According to Action Network’s summary of house rules, every sportsbook will cancel a player prop if the player is inactive on the league or team’s official injury report, whether the bet was on the over or the under.

For the NFL, Action Network quotes DraftKings as saying a player “must play at least one snap for bets to have action.” FanDuel’s rule reads: “only when a player does not play a snap in that game are the selections voided.”

BetMGM’s rule says “Wagers will be cancelled where player(s) are listed as inactive,” & for quarterback markets the player must start the game. Caesars requires a football player to play.

Action Network says “the same rules apply for an injury”: “if the player is injured during the game, the bets will stand,” while a player injured before the game who never plays has the bet voided.

Action Network adds that all US sportsbooks must post house rules, but many do not cover every scenario, & rules can differ by sport. For MLB, it says BetMGM requires the player to start, while FanDuel & DraftKings need a single plate appearance.

Why props raise integrity concerns

Fixing part of a match to settle a prop bet is called spot-fixing. Wikipedia says that, unlike fixing a whole match, spot-fixing “can be done with as little as one player” & can involve a single play unrelated to the result.

Wikipedia argues this makes recruiting players easier, because the events have little or no effect on the score. Examples it cites include footballer Matt Le Tissier attempting to fix the time of a throw-in.

Major League Baseball made a similar point about bets on single pitches. Reported by CBS News, the league said they “present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game.”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine raised the same concern about what his office calls micro prop bets, described as prop bets on highly specific events “that are completely controlled by one player.”

The Jontay Porter case

The NBA announced that Jontay Porter, a two-way player recently under contract with the Toronto Raptors, had been banned. Its investigation found that before the Raptors’ 20 March game he disclosed “confidential information about his own health status” to a person he knew to be an NBA bettor.

Another associate then placed “an $80,000 parlay proposition bet” (a parlay links several bets into one) to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform. Porter played only three minutes, claiming illness, & the bet was frozen & not paid out.

The league also found that from January to March 2024 Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s account, totalling $54,094. Separately, the NBA said the suspicious bets involving Porter’s performance in the 20 March game were brought to its attention by licensed sports betting operators & an organisation that monitors legal betting markets.

Commissioner Adam Silver said the matter raised questions about the regulatory framework, “including the types of bets offered on our games and players.” According to Wikipedia, Porter was banned for life in 2024 & later faced criminal charges, to which he pleaded guilty.

College player props

Wikipedia says NCAA president Charlie Baker called for a ban on prop bets in college sports in early 2024. The Ohio governor’s office says that after Baker’s letter in January 2024, the Ohio Casino Control Commission enacted rules in February 2024 removing collegiate prop bets.

Under those rules, Ohio bettors can no longer bet on individual player achievements in college games. They can still bet on outright winners, total team points & the spread, & the changes did not affect professional sports.

In Louisiana, Wikipedia reports that Gaming Control Board chairman Ronnie Johns was quick to abide by Baker’s request. It adds that restrictions range from state to state, from no bets on players at local universities to no college prop bets at all.

MLB caps pitch-level bets

The Ohio governor’s office says MLB placed Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz on paid leave on 3 July & closer Emmanuel Clase on 28 July as part of a “sports betting investigation”. DeWine then asked the state commission to “remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”

CBS News reports that Clase & Ortiz were indicted on a Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery & money laundering conspiracy. The indictment says they helped two gamblers win at least $460,000 on the speed & outcome of certain pitches.

Lawyers for both men said their clients are innocent. The following day, MLB said its authorised operators would cap bets on individual pitches at $200 & exclude them from parlays, a limit agreed by operators representing “more than 98% of the U.S. betting market.”

The 2025 NBA federal cases

According to Wikipedia, on 23 October 2025 current & former NBA players & a coach were among 34 people arrested & indicted. They included Terry Rozier, Damon Jones & Chauncey Billups.

Wikipedia says the prosecution involves two alleged schemes. One concerns manipulating bets on NBA games using non-public information, involving Rozier & Jones, & the other concerns Mafia-backed rigged poker games, involving Billups & Jones.

Rozier & Billups denied the allegations & were placed on administrative leave by the NBA. On 28 May 2026, the Justice Department filed a superseding indictment, a revised set of charges, accusing Rozier of accepting a $100,000 bribe to alter his performance.

Questions

What is a prop bet?

It is a bet on whether something happens during a game that does not directly decide the result, such as a player’s assists or which team scores first. Action Network describes it as a wager “not directly tied to the final score or final outcome.”

What happens to a player prop if the player does not play?

Action Network says every sportsbook cancels the bet if the player is listed inactive on the official injury report. Most books need the player to appear, for example one NFL snap, & bets stand if the player is injured during the game.

Are college player props banned?

It depends on the state. Ohio removed college player props in February 2024 while keeping outcome, total & spread bets, & Wikipedia reports Louisiana’s regulator also complied with the NCAA’s request.

What is the MLB pitch betting limit?

MLB said its authorised operators would cap bets on individual pitches at $200 & bar them from parlays. It said operators representing more than 98% of the US betting market agreed.

Why do leagues worry about props?

A single player can decide a prop, so spot-fixing one can need as little as one player, according to Wikipedia. MLB said such pitch-level bets “present heightened integrity risks.”

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• actionnetwork.com
• actionnetwork.com
• nba.com
• en.wikipedia.org
• governor.ohio.gov
• cbsnews.com
• en.wikipedia.org

Sources checked 29 October 2026. Information only. 18+.