SPORTS
BETTING TIPS
Sports betting is a game of skill. The challenge is to
gather and analyze as much information as you can about a game, weigh the probabilities of
each team winning, and subsequently compare your opinion to the oddsmaker's. Make the
right judgment and you win. It's as simple as that.
While luck may be a deciding factor in the outcome of any
single game, and will inevitably go against you on occasion, it will balance out in the
long run. Being a consistent winner in sports betting is not about luck but whether you
are prepared to invest the time and effort to become knowledgeable about the sports you
bet on, whether you can weigh all the factors in a cool, objective fashion, and whether
you adopt a consistent, disciplined, long-term approach to your betting. Do all these and
you will come out a winner. Remember, it's you against the oddsmaker, not the bookmaker.
The bookmaker is simply a middle-man who operates on a
small profit margin and, ideally he likes to see half the money wagered on one team and
half on the other, assuring him of a profit. If too much of the money goes on one team,
the bookmaker will move the line or pointspread to encourage bets on the other team in an
effort to balance his book. The person you are attempting to beat is the oddsmaker and his
views on each team's chances. Just by flipping a coin you will be right 50 percent of the
time. At odds of 10/11 only 52.4 percent of your bets have to win for you to overcome the
bookmaker's profit and break even, so you only need a very small edge to become a winner.
Do your homework and bet selectively. 55% winning bets is definitely achievable and 60-65%
is a realistic target. At those levels you will have an extremely profitable and enjoyable
hobby. |
