No matter what type of gambling you like to engage in, common sense says that developing a system will increase your odds of gaining a return on your wager. This theory holds true for most people interested in sports betting; sticking to a certain set of practices will in the end help you realize gains over the long term, rather than losses.
Before we start talking about some sports betting systems, it is important to note that this logic is only partly true. In fact, a betting system can at best help you to reduce your losses over the long term while gambling on sports; the best possible realistic outcome for any system is an even split of wins and losses over the long haul.
The reason for this comes down to the professionals, by which we mean the professionals who really DO make a huge profit month in and month out, throughout history, in sports betting. Those professionals, of course, are the bookmakers.
Using statistical analysis, bookmakers can always determine which betting systems are currently being used by bettors, and they always adjust the odds accordingly. They might make a home game split a poor value bet in order to compensate, or begin to adjust the lines. Whatever the measures, you can bet that the sports books have thought up ways to counter systems.
With that said, there are systems that can be used to increase your chances of profit over the long term in sports betting, but they largely have to do with personal control and strategies when betting. The good thing about this approach is that you can use it on any given sport, so it applies universally. Let’s take a look at some money wise ways to approach your sports betting strategy.
o Establish a bankroll: Before the beginning of the season, the playoffs, or whatever event you wish to wager on, you have to establish a bankroll. This bankroll will be based on the money you feel you can LOSE during the course of the betting season. Once you lose that money, it is very important that you stop betting or you will find yourself in a lot of trouble, very quickly.
o Don’t chase bad bets. One of the biggest temptations for those engaging in sports betting is to try to make up money they lost while wagering on certain games. This is almost always a recipe for disaster. If you lose all your games on betting on weekend NFL games, don’t try to make up for it with a bet on Monday night!
Those are the important foundations for any sports betting strategy, and they will help mitigate your losses on any losing season.
Now, let’s take a look at some strategies to apply to your general sports betting endeavours.
o Research! In order to make a good bet (meaning, a bet that has the best chance of winning), you need to know all you can about the game in question. That means doing a lot of research. Know who is playing what position, their health and mental status, the record of the teams against each other, other records, even who the officials are. Good research is your most effective tool when it comes to placing a good bet.
o Watch out for tired teams! In a lot of sports, teams play back to back games. If they are playing a fresh team, this can factor into their ability to play. It does not always work, but most times a team playing its second game in two nights will have a decreased chance of winning.
o Betting series: This strategy really only applies to baseball betting, where teams may play three or more games against each other in a row. In these cases it is usually possible to predict which team will come out with the most wins in the series, and that’s an easier call than game to game.
Of course, for all those strategies, you have to keep in mind that the bookmakers are just as aware of the factors as you are. They will adjust the odds accordingly, which is something else you have to be aware of.