Sports betting in Texas: When it will be legalized, how to bet online, where to find picks, top site promos - CBS Sports

Texas is a football state, but even the most diehard gridiron fans are keeping an eye on other sports going on. Spring training has arrived, which means Houston's baseball team is getting ready to defend its championship. Speaking of Houston, its college basketball team is atop the rankings, giving the Long Horn State five teams in the top 25. With all the excitement going on, Texas sports betting naturally comes into the conversation. While the state hasn't legalized Texas sports betting sites, the wheels are in motion through proposed bills to have sports betting in Texas in the future. 

If Texas online sports betting gets legalized, then the latest Texas sportsbook bonus offer and Texas sportsbook promo code could bound to be very popular with new bettors in Texas. Before Texas online sports books get the go-ahead, new bettors should be familiar with common sports betting terminology. Here is a guide to sports betting terms from our friends at SportsLine that will help you get ready in case Texas online sportsbooks become a reality.

How to bet on sports in Texas when legalized

There are several ways you can make sports wagers both online and in retail sportsbooks and plenty of bet types you'll want to familiarize yourself with.

Bad beat: This is a wager that appears a bettor will easily win but ends up losing, usually due to unlikely circumstances. An example would be backing a basketball team to cover as 10-point favorites, and that team is leading by 20 with two minutes left. An improbable rally by the opponent and a last-second 3-pointer to cut the point differential to nine points would result in a loss bet, and bad beat, by the bettor.

Money line bets: These wagers are only concerned with the outcome of an event, with no regard to the point spread. You simply pick who will win amongst the two teams/athletes. For sports like soccer where ties are common, then you have three options to choose from: Team A, Team B and a Draw.

Parlay: Linking multiple bets into a single wager is called a parlay. It's an all-or-nothing scenario as all of your bets must win in order to win the parlay. The more bets within that wager, the lower the odds of winning it are, but the payout corresponds with the parlay's odds.

Where to find the best Texas sports betting advice

If you're looking for the best values on the board in Texas or elsewhere, be sure to check out SportsLine, which specializes in Vegas picks, DFS advice and season-long fantasy sports projections.

An industry leader, SportsLine.com provides advanced computer modeling, expert picks, news and analysis of all the biggest events in sports. It can help you identify in which games you'll have the biggest statistical advantage. Plus, you'll get access to a team of over 40 experts.

SportsLine provides betting advice across the four major professional sports, college sports, golf, tennis, soccer, combat sports, horse racing, auto racing and more. It's a proven resource to sports bettors around the world. You can sign up here to enjoy all of the sports betting and fantasy sports advice that SportsLine has to offer. Then, use your knowledge to crush Texas online sports betting when it's a reality.