The Crush
- What is a crush in sports betting?
- How do you determine what the crush should be?
- When should you crush?
What is a “CRUSH” in sports betting?
In sports betting have you heard of the term “Crush a Bet”?
Perhaps you’ve heard of “Hedging a Bet”?
If you have then you’ve had this method as part of your winning sports betting strategy, and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s come in very handy many times before when you got down to that very last leg and needed the win to bank some big cash.
So what is a “Crush” and when should you consider the “Crush” and most importantly should a “Crush” be a part of your overall betting strategy?
A “Crush” is a strategy that is used in a parlay system or multi bet system where you have a minimum of two legs. A crush usually only works if each leg is completed before the next leg starts. The crush usually occurs on the last leg after all the previous legs have been completed and have won. While there are more complicated crush tactics for multiple outcomes still in play, for this article we want to focus on keeping it simple so you understand the core crush strategy.
The dreaded last leg!
How many times have you got to your last leg in a 3 leg parlay (multi bet) only to see the that last leg odds on favorite get upset and your entire bet goes up in smoke? Plenty of times right! We know it used to happen to us, but not anymore!
In this example we’re going to discuss a 3 leg parlay with a “Crush” occuring at the very last leg after the first two legs have won. In this example below we’re going to keep the outcomes uniform as far as the odds are concerned, but this will almost always vary in the real world, but for this example we’ll keep them all the same.
Here’s a 3 Leg Parlay with 3 different matches with the exact same odds –
Ticket 1 – 3 Leg Parlay (Multi Bet)
Leg 1 – Team A vs Team B | Team A -12.5 Spread odds $1.90 (-111)
Leg 2 – Team C vs Team D | Team C +4.5 Spread odds $1.90 (-111)
Leg 3 – Team E vs Team F | Team E -6.5 Spread odds $1.90 (-111)
Leg 1 x Leg 2 x Leg 3 = $6.86 (+586)
Stake = 1 Unit at $100 per unit
Outcome $686 return to $100 outlay (or a $586 profit).
How do you determine what the crush should be?
After Leg 1 and Leg 2 have won, that’s where the crush comes in and Leg 3 is still to commence, you now have the option to consider and employ a crush. At this stage you have a $1.90 (-111) shot left to complete your 3 leg parlay (multi). The crush is having an outcome now on the opposite team, in this example that would be betting Team F with the opposite spread of say +6.5 Spread at $1.90 (-111). You will need to adjust the crush amount to your liking and take into consideration how much you value either outcome in the last leg.
Here’s one example now that Leg 1 and Leg 2 have already won – New Ticket >
Ticket 2 – 1 Leg Outcome Final Leg (Crush) betting on Team F -6.5 spread
Stake = 2 Units or $200 at $1.90 (-111)
A $200 outcome on Team F would result in the following –
Final outcome = $380 return to $200 outlay (a $180 profit).
Now you wait on the final Leg 3 Result to determine the Total Outcome for the 3 Leg Parlay and final Leg Crush (TICKETS 1 and TICKETS 2) –
A) IF Ticket 1 WINS - $6.86 shot with $100 bet (to win $586)
If Team E wins and covers then you return –
$686 returned (less the $100 bet) so $586 won then minus Ticket 2 - the $200 Crush bet for $386 in profit.
B) IF Ticket 2 WINS
If Team F (the underdog) wins then the result is as follows –
Ticket 1 – 3 Leg Parlay loses and you lose $100
Ticket 2 – 1 Leg Outcome wins at $200 bet at 1.90 for a $380 return and you have $180 in profit.
RESULT = Ticket 2 minus Ticket 1 = $80 in profit.
Therefore you either win $386 or you win $80, but either way you win!
You win either way!
This strategy means that if either outcome occurs you win, that’s right, that’s the beauty of the “Crush”, you either win a little or a lot. The difference is you “Crush” into your full potential profit, but as we all know, winning is better than seeing all your stake go down after the first two legs bolted in and the one you really liked loses right?
This means the total initial outlay for this was $100 (Bet1) + $200 (Bet2 Crush) = $300.
Option A = $586 returned for a $386 profit (128.67% PROFIT well done)
Option B THE CRUSH = $380 returned for a $80 profit (26.67% PROFIT still a PROFIT!)
Without the CRUSH and the UnderDog won the dreaded last leg loses and you lose $100 (ZERO Profit $100 in the hole!).
When should you crush?
As professional punters we believe you should always include a “Crush” strategy in your parlay or multi bet systems. There simply is no worse feeling than to lose when you could have employed a strategy that allows you to win either way.
We can hear the groans now of course about yeah but you just gave up a big chunk of change by using the “Crush”, well you don’t have to adopt this strategy, but after a few heartbreaking losses, we’re sure you’ll reconsider and you should as it’s a smart decision.
The Double Whammy!
There are also other possibilities with a “Crush” strategy that really can work in your favor as well. The double whammy! That’s right there are possibilities that you can win both tickets. This occurs in a number of ways but here’s just one example –
Leg 3 – Is an Underdog with a +3.5 spread (the final leg of a 3 leg parlay).
The favorite in this outcome at Head to Head is $1.65 (-154).
You can “Crush” on Leg 3 on the favorite Head to Head and if they win by between 1 and 3 points you actually win both outcomes. That’s right you get the Double Whammy! As the dog still gets up with a 3.5 point start! But they lost the match and you get both outcomes up!
This would be a possibility worth considering especially seeing you have the dog and you could crush back the favorite. There are many, many potential possibilities, you just have to make yourself aware of them. Best you work out the possible outcomes and ensure you have a crush strategy worked out before you get to that last leg.
Should a crush form part of your betting strategy?
ABSOLUTELY! We believe the answer to this is a big yes YES! It’s prudent, it’s smart, and it ensures that no matter what happens at that final leg you’ll win. Isn’t that what this is all about!? If your aim is to beat the bookies consistently, then we highly recommend you look at including a “Crush” strategy into your overall system. You can thank us later when that last leg of your mega multi goes down but you still won!
Imagine the possibilities on some of the larger 4 and 5 leg outcomes and even higher leg parlays. When you get down to that last leg “CRUSH”!
A word of advice: make sure you have the crush amount available if you intend using this strategy there is no worse feeling than to not be able to crush a bet back and win, so make sure you have the funds available.
All the best and bet responsibly, stay in your lane, and good hunting