Professional sports-betting is more of an art than a science. However, just like any art, you get better at with experience. There are a lot of books out there on how to get better at sports betting. However, there are a few tips you can only gain from experience, not books. Here are 10 tips that you can use if you’re just getting started.
1. Set a Budget
This is a no-brainer. It’ll constrict and curtail your betting practices when you have a budget. It’ll help you to set boundaries for yourself and know when you’ve lost. It’ll also prevent you from betting on emotion.
2. Consult Multiple Sources Before You Bet
Every sports-betting enthusiast begins with one book. However, the classic mistake is to stop at one book. It’s very easy to think that you’ve learned everything about sports-betting with just a single source. Even if that source claims to be definitive, it might be missing something. Even when you’re done reading this post, you should search for more wisdom. The more knowledge you have, the greater is your likelihood of winning. Don’t be an eager beaver and start betting everything you have on a whim.
Sports bettors have a greater edge if they’ve consumed multiple books. It also helps bettors score with new information that has been discovered as of late. Like every risk worth taking, it helps to have the largest volumes of information on your side supporting your bet.
3. Proper Bank Roll Management Is a Must
Sports-betting has huge swings. Hence, proper bankroll management is a must here. Rookies make the mistake of having no safety nets if they get something wrong, which will eventually happen. In the eventuality and probability game, it’s never a sure thing. There’s always a chance that uncertainty will play a huge role in the final turn of events.
The best way to properly bankroll yourself is to have a star or unit system. This means that every unit represents approximately 1% of your bankroll. The efficacy of this method is crucial if you want to bet consistently. If you bet throughout the entire season, every time you win, your 1% grows bigger. Every time you lose it grows smaller. However, your slice of the pie will only get bigger.
For example, if your 1% is $100 and you win a 2-1 bet, your whole pie is now 10100. Hence, now your unit is $101. If you now lose a 2-1 bet, your betting pool is now $9898. However, you would’ve been significantly worse off if you had bet 2% first, won, and then lost by betting 2%. It would leave you with a betting pool of $9792.
4. Know the Key Numbers
In most sports, there are key numbers that have greater value to you and pose a risk to sportsbooks, unless they’re properly accounted for. This is because final scores tend to end on certain numbers more than others. This is due to the way the game is scored or played. You can learn a lot about this if you choose sports betting by sbobet.
The most common total score in Hockey, for example, is 5. Similar scores have been seen to repeat in football/soccer. The same can be said for sports like Rugby, American Football, etc. Since these correlations have been observed in certain sports, the buy-ons or buy-offs are greater. Keeping the key numbers in mind significantly improves your chances of winning.
5. Know Your Expected Values (EVs)
Remember one key statistic all the time when sports-betting is concerned. Bets averaging 52.38% are worth taking. This statistic means that more than likely, you are going to win. The larger the deviation from this number, the more you are either likely to lose or win.
Hence, you need to make a list of the expected values that comply with this percentage. You need to take in to account other factors as well such as injuries, playing conditions, etc. The larger the deviation from 52.38% the larger your bet should be.
6. Avoid Stupid Plays with Bad EVs
There’s another rule that you need to follow to win, stop playing on emotion. This is a trap that most people think they won’t fall in to, but it happens. Believe me, it happens. The movies aren’t lying. Casinos didn’t build themselves up on their own. It took a lot of people messing up and playing on pure emotion and not using their heads.
Thinking that you have a winning streak is always stupid. Just because you’ve gotten everything right 10 times in a row doesn’t mean you will get the eleventh one right. Even if you have a huge edge on your bets, remember the best sports bettors are right 56% lifetime.
7. Half Points
This depends on which kind of situation you’re in. However, in general, the answer is no. It’s better to just try and shop for better numbers using multiple books and sources. It’s always better to come with a solid play and buy full points rather than go half in.
The only time that it’s okay to buy half points is when the numbers line up. What this means is that you can use a formula to calculate your chances of profiting on a half-point.
The formula is:
x/(1-x)*-100
x=the value where the average is 52.38% + the difference in implied winning percentage
If the difference between x and the result of the formula is a half-point, buying one is justified. If not, you can skip it.
8. The Importance of Timing
Make sure that you never underestimate the importance of timing. When you get good at betting, which only comes with experience, you can start to predict the line moves. This will allow you to be more strategic in your planning.
Placing your bets right when the lines come out you can find weaknesses in the predictions. Hit them before people catch on which forces the lines to move.
9. Compare Odds and Lines
This is one of the easiest tips to follow. Comparing odds and lines is very simple. It takes a few moments when placing bets. Bookmakers and betting sites don’t offer the same odds and lines every time. Shopping around a little for every wager, you can make sure that the best possible deal is always present. The key is to spot the difference between the highest and lowest bets and figuring out the difference.
10. Bet Online
Betting online is your best bet, pun intended. It’s very convenient very easy. It offers a lot of distinct advantages over other methods. There are even sites out there that offer you on-the-go betting like if you play SBOBET on mobile.
Sites that allow you to track everything on your smartphone are more convenient than betting on your laptop. Either way, whatever you choose, online betting is always better than betting in person. Using these tips will help you get a good start on sports-betting. However, remember that this is an evolving game. Always keep both eyes open and advance your knowledge.