How to Improve Sports Betting Accuracy
Sports betting is one of the most common forms of gambling worldwide. And with the US opening the floodgates in 2018 by allowing states to permit residents to engage in the activity, millions have taken up the pastime.
With more than $4.33 billion generated from sports betting in 2021 by American players, there is no denying that players take their bets seriously. However, like with any gambling, winning is not always as easy as placing a wager.
Thankfully, unlike many other forms of gambling, sports betting is unique because there are specific ways to improve your odds of winning. Employing these tips and tricks can help boost your sports betting accuracy and (hopefully) lead to more significant results.
Do Your Research
Doing your research is the first and most vital tip to improving your betting and chances of winning big. Doing this allows you to make more informed betting decisions and will prevent you from placing bets on a whim or only on your favorite teams.
While the research you may need to conduct may differ from one sport to another, there are certain things you should be knowledgeable about regardless of the sport:
Players
Of course, the most crucial factor in any sporting event is the athletes participating in the game. Therefore, knowing everything you can about the players can help you determine whether the matchup of players is equal or if one team holds an edge.
Among the stats that you should look at for each player is how long they’ve played, how many wins and losses they’ve had, whether they perform best at home or away, and if they’ve had any recent injuries or setbacks.
Teams
After looking at each player individually, you can apply the information you learn about them to the team setting. Aside from seeing who in the team is a standout from the rest, knowing the players before looking at the group lets you gauge a team’s overall strength based on its player’s individual performances.
Of course, even a team with the best players cannot win if the athletes don’t function as a unit. Therefore, research how the team performs, whether the lineup of team members have played together before, their wins and losses, and if they are or aren’t favored at home. Checking other bettors’ predictions of how the team will function can also help.
Arena
Learning about where teams will play is essential because the arena teams play in can affect their performance and the game’s outcome.
Knowing the status of the stadium, how it has historically affected teams, where it is located (indirectly affecting which fans will be more prominent in the stands), and anything else relevant can help make your prediction of which team is likely to win more accurately.
Shop Around for Your Bets
With the expansion of sports betting throughout many states in the US, many reputable sportsbooks in operation allow you to place bets. Some, like the many bonuses from Casinos.com, even give you perks for betting.
While these various sportsbooks may give you access to the same sports and games to bet on, the odds that they offer and the pricing for placing bets may differ. A bet with specific odds may be cheaper at one bookmaker than another.
Although finding a better price may be a bonus, the real benefit of shopping around is finding better odds. You can cross-reference these odds with your own research to see if professional analysts (who provide the odds for sportsbook operators) agree or disagree with your analysis.
If they do, the chances are that your research could yield results. If you’re at odds (no pun intended) with their predictions, it may be a sign that you need to reconsider your research—or that you may know better than the pros.
Base Your Bets on Knowledge, Not Emotion
While it may sound counterproductive since it has often been said that you should bet following your instincts, this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, when deciding on which bet you will place, it is best to remove all emotion.
The reason for this is simple: if you follow your emotions, you could place bets on teams based purely on the fact that you like them, are fond of certain players on a team, or because others have led you to favor them.
The reality is that, as mentioned above, the statistics from reputable sources, history, and team performance are much safer to use as a basis for your bet. These are factually proven and aren’t swayed according to your mood, environment, or what others tell you.
Exercise Patience
One of the last tips for improving your betting accuracy is not rushing into things. While this may be difficult if there is a big game coming up that you want to make sure you can get in on, this could be counterintuitive.
Rushing into a bet could cause you to overlook crucial facts, bet with emotion (even when actively trying not to), or place reckless bets simply because you’re in a hurry. All these things can negatively affect your betting accuracy and lead to losses you’d rather avoid.
Taking time to carefully consider your bets, even if it means you may miss out on an opportunity to place one on a particular event, can help ensure you are accurate. This could lead to better wins and won’t cause you to waste money needlessly.
It is best to plan your bets well in advance to avoid rushing into them and missing out on opportunities. With the NFL, for example, the season is announced far in advance, so you can begin your research early and join the 73 million fans who place bets.