While betting on sports is a lot of fun, financial reward should be your number one priority when participating in this incredibly popular pastime.
It may feel at times that focusing on strategy takes away from the fun of the experience, but accepting that the most intelligent bet won’t always necessarily be the one that you like is the first step to discarding biases and enjoying the reward more than the sport itself.
Whether you’re a sports betting veteran or just getting started, there are a number of simple but effective sports betting strategies to consider.
1. Master a Single Sport
The most important sports betting strategy of all is one of restriction. While you likely know a fair amount about a few different sports, it’s imperative that you become the master of a specific one.
Instead of spreading your bankroll across bets on a multitude of different sports, focus on a single on at a time so that you can follow the sport closely in order to make the most intelligent bets.
The idea behind this strategy is that if you’ve mastered the sport, you’ll also master the wagers.
2. Don’t Follow the Public
The mentality of the public should be kept in mind at all times and if used correctly, may be advantageous to your sports betting bankroll.
While the public tend to back favourites – and more often than not favourites do win – but it’s up you to figure out why they’re getting it wrong, for example on AFL betting odds, and then bet against them.
Instead of blindly following the public, consider all aspects of each betting market and formulate your own lines to see if they match up.
3. Track Line Movement
The major factor influencing how financially rewarding a successful bet will be is the odds set by the bookmakers. However, it’s important to remember that odds change.
Injuries, line-up changes, weather, and many other factors contribute to the bookmaker adding or subtracting points to matchups and that’s why it’s of utmost importance to track line movements.
Follow the sport closely and watch how the lines react; only placing your bet once the odds are at their most attractive.
4. Always Shop the Odds
While the line may jump sporadically in the lead up to a match, it’s also important to track this movement across a number of reputable online sportsbooks.
Value hunting is an important part of being a successful sports bettor and a number of online sportsbooks will offer the same bet on the same match-up, usually at a similar price.
However, even just a 0.5 difference in the odds will make an impact on how rewarding a successful wager is.
5. Make Use of Data Resources
Disregarding statistics and data is the number one mistake of all sports bettors and usually leads to a losing strategy.
Make use of all the information you can get your hands on, sifting through the useless data, until the picture becomes clearer.
It’s time consuming process, but you aren’t going to become a successful punter without putting in the work!