How to Win at Sports Betting

For sports gamblers that truly want to succeed and win consistently the good news is that it’s not a complicated path. That doesn’t mean that it is an easy path but it is certainly a basic one. By following a few simple steps, you can be on the right direction to winning. All told the golden rule is “Keep it Simple Stupid.” Gambling is not rocket science. It’s all about learning to get the best price for the best chance at success while managing yourself and your bankroll.

Set Realistic Expectations

If you take up sports gambling, forget about getting rich quick or retiring in the lap of luxury after a great football weekend of winning. The fact of the matter is that sports betting is the ultimate grind. It is something that must be approached with a life time or long-term outlook. The fact that the sportsbook will have a 10-percent edge or more is sobering enough. There is no margin for error and elimination of your own mistakes will be of paramount importance.

Accept the Risks

So much of betting on sports will be completely out of your control. Games and your bets will be decided by terrible officials or coaching calls, mistakes by players that rarely make them, mother nature, strange bounces, and so forth. If you can’t handle that you may as well walk away from online sports wagering before you even start. You will not escape the infamous “bad beats” that are part of the sports gambling deal. Nobody does. Deal with it.

Set Budget and Manage Bankroll

If you decide to bet on sports you must only bet money that you can afford to lose and not a penny more. Beyond that you have to manage your bankroll is an arsenal. You have to make your bankroll last through inevitable losing streaks to stay alive for when your luck gets good. This means not going on tilt when you lose and not binging when you win. Money is the mother’s milk of gambling and should be preserved and valued.

Learn to Read Lines and Assess Betting Value

One of the first traits towards becoming a more sophisticated gambler is when you discover the betting lines are not based on the ignorant old line about “What Vegas thinks.” Instead the odds are set based on what Vegas thinks that YOU think. The betting lines are like a stock on the market. They are priced not as much on pure ability but on how the public perceives that ability.

The oddsmakers are trying to attract equal betting action to both sides of a game. Thus, they will set a price that accomplishes that goal. Which means that if the public over-values a certain team, that team will cost more to bet on. With the affect being the other team will bring enhanced wagering value in order to attract dollars its way. Learning to read such value is a key to your future success.

Accept Losses as the Price of Education

Instead of getting mad about a wagering loss use it as the ultimate education. Why did you lose and what made you make the bet in the first place? Would you make the same bet if you had to do it all over again? If not, learn what the specific mistake was and never make it again.

Keep it Simple

The best gamblers do not use elaborate formulas or complicated systems. Instead they use a few basics to assess wagering value on the board. Ask which team has the better organizational structure, leadership and coaching? Who has the advantage at key positions such as quarterbacks, pitchers and goaltenders? Can the defense stop the other team? Does the price look right or do you detect something off on the betting odds? Assess media hype and if gamblers are being swayed by it. Is there an overreaction to results in the last game that was played?

Be Your Own Man

Since you will be betting your money its best that you develop the skills necessary to be able to trust yourself. You have your own best interests at heart. So, bet like it and don’t be intimidated by those on the other side.