Sports betting is an ever-expanding phenomenon, not only in the US but throughout the world. It’s undoubtedly an enjoyable activity, but it also requires knowing how to do it responsibly and how to keep improving. Thus, we share with you some strategies you can apply to sharpen your betting skills, whether you want to bet on something as niche as billiard or as widespread as basketball.
Understand which bets have the best value
The most important tip you can carry with you as a novice is to understand which bets have a good value and which ones do not. Value bets can be figured out by understanding which odds that are profitable – in short, profitable odds are odds whose probability of a certain outcome is better than the odds offered by a sportsbook.
For example, if you’re betting on the upcoming NBA finals odds, you want to “outsmart” the bookmakers by providing more expert predictions for the game and thus benefit from the gap between the bookmakers’ odds and the actual probable outcome. In other words, it takes some finesse to understand which bets have the best value, but with some practice, you’ll eventually get it. Then you’ll be more confident when betting on big leagues like the NBA or WPL.
Don’t underestimate the importance of specializing
It’s practically impossible to keep track of everything that’s going on in the world of sports. After all, there’s a plethora of sports and several leagues taking place annually. So instead of trying to get the hang of every single sport, tournament, club, and player, we suggest you specialize. This means studying one or two sports intensively, and maybe even certain teams and players.
By analyzing the performance of specific teams, you’ll be able to place much more informed bets, increasing the likelihood of positive long-term results. Plus, specializing is the most fun part of betting, as you learn best by watching the games yourself!
Keep a record of your wins and losses
To become a sharper bettor, you need to evaluate your performance. Otherwise, you have no basis for learning from your mistakes and getting better at what you do. Therefore, we suggest that after each game you write down what bets you made and how they went. This is regardless of whether you won or not. By keeping a record of your wins and losses, you can discover patterns in your gambling. Eventually, you’ll realize what mistakes you often make and can work to avoid them.
Learn from the experts
There are dozens of professionals who work full-time analyzing teams and players before major sports events. By taking advantage of their predictions, you can feel more confident about your projections. Of course, you shouldn’t exclusively choose to place bets that the experts consider most profitable, but think about using them as a guideline for more informed decisions. If you really want to reach your long-term goals, you must learn to analyze and read statistics yourself and not just leave the responsibility to the experts.
