Do I Need Sports Betting Strategies
Sports fans who enjoy betting on baseball and hockey can sometimes be confused by the numbers and odds used by oddsmakers. Betting strategies are tools for bettors to learn.
Numbers drive the betting markets
NFL betting and NBA betting gives you the moneyline option with a point spread that most bettors like to use. Instead of seeing a team favored by 2.5 points in football and basketball, there will be a small moneyline in baseball and hockey.
A number such as -120 means you would need to wager $120 to win $100 or $60 to win $50. Usually a ten percent commission goes to the book if you lose.
When you get +6.5 points in football and basketball, it means the team can lose by up to 6 to cash your bet. A similar +200 moneyline would translate to a $200 profit on a $100 wager if your team wins the game. Bettors are looking for value.
You have the opportunity to wager on the moneyline in just about every sport. Baseball and hockey are the two team sports that use it as the primary betting option.
The main reason is that baseball and hockey results tend to be much lower-scoring final results. Meanwhile, scores ending 43-27 in football or 110-97 in basketball are examples why it makes more sense to use point spreads.
Moneyline betting on baseball
Betting the moneyline on baseball is the main option bet provided since there is no point spread. This is an example that you will see on the baseball betting odds board based on starting pitching and other factors.
Baltimore Orioles +165 playing at Toronto Blue Jays -185
Just like the minus and plus values on the point spread, those values designate underdogs and favorites in moneyline betting. Toronto is favored at -185 (bet $185 to win $100), and Baltimore is the underdog at +165 (bet $100 to win $165). The concept of moneyline betting is to view the number 100 sitting between the favorite and underdog.
Because the Blue Jays are favored to win, the sportsbook needs you to risk more to bet on them. After all, they should win this game. So wagering on baseball favorites with moneylines calls for you to risk a certain number ($185 based on -185) in order to win $100.
On the other side, the sportsbook is also willing to reward you for taking the underdog, so they give you an incentive to bet on the Orioles. In this case, you would risk $100 in order to win $165 (+165) on Baltimore.
Moneyline betting on hockey
The same principles and same math apply with moneyline betting on the hockey odds board. The Boston Bruins may be -130 favorites against the Buffalo Sabres, who may be listed as +110 underdogs. You risk $130 to win $100 on the favored Bruins and wager $100 to win $110 on the underdog Sabres.
It is a pretty simple concept once you get the hang of the numbers and what they mean.it, You will see profitable opportunities in football and hoops where wagering on the moneyline makes more sense than betting the point spread.
If you really like an 8-point underdog in the NFL , you can take the 8 points and hope they cover the spread. A moneyline at +280 makes more money betting them to win ($280) than on the point spread ($100). You have to determine your risk/reward ratio when looking for a value bet.
Betting strategies
The most important sports betting strategy is staying true to whatever system you use over the long term.The most successful sports bettors realize this and continue using their strategies year after year without ever questioning their logic.
They know you can’t win every wager and losing is inevitable at some point. However, the key to winning is staying consistent, so keep that in mind when reviewing the following betting strategies.
Fading the public
One of the best strategies for wagering on the NFL is betting against or “fading” the public. While this can be an effective strategy when betting on other sports as well, nothing beats the impact the public has on pro football.
NFL betting is the number one public betting sport. Sportsbooks know what teams are going to be the most heavily bet from week to week. They adjust their odds accordingly to get bettors to bite on their numbers. The “sharp” bettors have the opportunity to go the other way and take the opposite side.
The most popular teams are those that get the most media coverage, so they tend to be overly hyped. Remember this every time you bet and ask yourself why you personally like one team over another.
Always stay unbiased and focus simply on picking winners consistently by blocking out how much a team is featured on television. Go with your gut and don’t follow the flock of sheep that will try to get you to bet with the masses.
Handicapping personnel moves
This betting strategy covers off-season, in-season moves and all of which are equally important and should be followed closely with the latest news. Did a team lose a star player to free agency, how does it affect the old and new roster. Did a team hire a good or bad head coach.
Was there a key injury that could impact a team’s fortunes, or can they overcome the loss because they are so deep at that position. Is there a quarterback battle in training camp that could make the team stronger than a year ago.
These are all examples of moves that can and will happen over the course of a year in any particular sport on which you can wager. Gaining inside info can help you beat the book if you have the right sources.
Specializing in one sport
Bettors who specialize in one sport are among the most successful you will ever meet. That’s because they do not spread themselves thin by trying to beat multiple sports at the same time. If you seriously think about this specific betting strategy, you will probably want to take a similar approach.
Staying on top of hundreds of college football and/or basketball teams in addition to the pros is more than a grind. It’s nearly impossible to win at everything, so go with what you know best.
Create your own power ratings or rankings and compare them to the sportsbook’s lines when they are released. By becoming a specialist, your confidence will only grow along with your bankroll.
Live betting guide
The popularity of live betting continues to grow and the interest in handicapping and profiting from it also continues to grow. Like any wagering options, there will be ways to effectively break down the numbers and gain an advantage over the sportsbook.
Live betting is no different and can be more beatable and profitable. If you are able to accurately predict what will happen next, live betting will project profitable numbers.
Oddsmakers can only do so much to set live betting lines. They cannot follow every play of every game in order to make the perfect number. You need to focus on team performance before you bet on a new live number. The middles are there with sides and totals and opportunities to hedge your original bet.
Basic live betting strategies
One of the most basic live sports betting strategies is to wager on the underdog at +150 or higher. If the favorite trails early but has a good opportunity to win, live betting will list favorite as + 150 or higher.
Bettors backing the favorite on new moneyline will have two plus bets (dog at +150 and favorite at +150) and cannot lose. Of course this requires you to pay very close attention to the momentum of the game.
You need to determine if the team really has a chance to rally. However, it is fairly common for the better team to get behind early and still come back to win without covering the spread.
Advanced live betting strategies
Sometimes, you may even get the chance to middle a bet you placed beforehand or guarantee yourself a profit by hedging. These are live betting strategies for more advanced professionals who know the basic concepts are essential to learning how to profit from it.
The more live betting opportunities you take advantage of, the more you will likely end up winning.You may become a live betting pro and create your own strategies.
The choices are yours when you participate in the live betting experience. Betting strategies are a percentage play when the odds are favorable. However, betting strategies do work for profits or to limit losses. Lose less and win more is your goal.
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