Smart Sports Betting Strategies
Whether you are wagering on the New York Giants or betting on Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, there should be a combination of smart sports betting strategies involved. New bettors will want to learn more a decision-making process that goes into placing a sports wagers, while experienced sports bettors can always employ new tactics. There is no guaranteed way to win at sports betting, and there is not one strategy that is truly superior to another. Smart sports betting strategies come down to knowing the appropriate way to bet depending on the game and wager type. Being that there are hundreds of guidelines for placing sports wagers, having your own system and then implementing different strategies is the best way to be successful at sports betting.
Knowing how to utilize smart sports betting strategies is beneficial for several reasons, the main one being that they can increase your long-term profit. While no strategy on its own (or combined) will result in a 100% win percentage, why not set yourself up for the best possible advantage? Even professional bettors have their cold streaks, but the key is to use the right sports betting strategies to make your wins outweigh your losses.
If you were to Google “smart sports betting strategies”, chances are our page along with hundreds of others would populate. Just as different as the websites themselves, the betting tips would vary because each bettor has their own unique betting strategies. There are, however, a few tricks of the trade that a commonplace in the sports betting world. We will give you the 5 smart sports betting strategies that we have found most effective, along with a few extra tips.
Bankroll Management
Bankroll management is essential to any smart sports betting strategy. Your bankroll is a set amount of cash that you should put toward sports wagering. A good bettor does not go over this amount, and the most successful bettors will allot a certain percentage of their bankroll to each bet made throughout the week or a particular season. Your target percentage should be somewhere between 1% and 5% of your total bankroll. Let’s say that your bankroll is $2,000 for the NBA season. This means that each bet you place could be anywhere from $20 to $100. This rule applies to both high rollers and low-stakes bettors, though you can tweak the percentage based on the bet minimum where you are placing your wagers.
Line Shopping
Line shopping is a smart sports betting strategy that offers immediate value. Shopping lines means visiting multiple sportsbooks in order to find the best line on a particular bet. Let’s say that you want to bet on the New York Giants and BetOnline has a point spread of -3. When you start to shop the same line at other sports betting sites, you find the Giants spread at -2.5. Shopping for the best lines can improve your overall win percentage and boost your bankroll. Creating multiple sportsbook accounts makes it much easier shop lines and quickly place bets as soon as you spot the value.
Do Your Homework Beforehand
There is no getting around it - you have to do your homework in order to be a successful sports bettor. A smart sports betting strategy will involve statistical research no matter what the sport. Baseball bettors do not need to have a complete understanding of sabermetrics, and football fans do not need to know the offensive statistics for all 32 NFL teams. What’s important is looking at relevant statistics, rankings, and trends on each pick. You can analyze past performances, compare head-to-head stats, and look up ATS standings. No matter how well you know a sport, all smart sports betting strategies involve some level of research.
Analyze Injury Reports
Analyzing injury reports can be extremely beneficial when you are placing sports wagers. This is especially true when it comes to using NFL injury reports, which you can read about in more detail. Even in sports like baseball, basketball, and hockey, knowing which players are injured can work to your advantage. When a big-name quarterback or player in a marquee position is injured, you can be sure that the oddsmaker will adjust the line accordingly. The betting public will also start to wager heavily in one direction in these situations. if you research the injury and find out that it is likely not as bad as the public perceives it to be, you can bet as if nothing happened and capitalize on the increased value. Another scenario is where a backup is injured, which oddsmakers and the public may not put as much stock into. If you know that a team regularly uses their bench, you can take this into consideration when placing (or deciding not to place) your wager.
Bet With A Clear Mind
Betting with a clear mind is the most obvious of smart sports betting strategies, but this is actually where many bettors fall short. When you think of a traditional sportsbook, drinks are flowing and betting while under the influence just seems to happen naturally. Think about the reasons why. Alcohol alters your state of mind, which can cause you to place riskier bets and in turn makes the house more money should you lose. Betting while heavily inebriated or under the influence of any drug is a rookie mistake.
You should also never bet “on tilt”, which is an expression used for when bettors let their emotions get the best of them. Emotions and sports betting do not mix, as you should be betting with your head, not your heart. This means that you shouldn’t automatically take that bet on your favorite team without reason, and you also should steer clear of trying to chase bad bets. Take a break and get your emotions in check before adding any additional wagers to your bet slip.
What Does It Mean When The Line Moves?
Oddsmakers will release an opening line, which will likely be different by the time the wagering window closes. The line will typically move for one of three reasons, the first being the betting public. Early line movements will usually be an indication of which direction the public money is going. Rapid line movements, say the New York Giants go from a -2-point favorite to a -3.5 point favorite, usually indicate ‘sharp’ action. Sharps are professional bettors that use advanced metrics to place their bets and wager large sums in order to move the line to their advantage. Bookmakers may also move lines as a result of injuries or suspensions that happen before game day.
Many bettors find the best value in betting favorites against the spread early, and waiting it out when betting on dogs. Timing is everything, so follow line moves closely and using your judgment on when to take action.
What Does It Mean To ‘Bet Against The Public’?
Betting against the public means wagering in the opposite direction of the general public. When the public puts all of their money on one side, oddsmakers will typically have to move the line in order to attract action on the opposing team. As a result, you can take advantage of extra points on a bet that will potentially increase your overall win percentage. This is also known as Contrarian betting.
Do Online Sportsbooks Offer Any Betting Insights?
Most online sportsbooks offer tools and resources to help you implement the smart sports betting strategies that we discussed. SportsBetting.ag, for example, offers articles throughout the NFL season that includes ATS standings and other rankings on key matchups. BetOnline.ag has a Stats Center that has defensive statistics, game logs, and extensive databases on NFL, WNBA, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams. The top New York Sports betting sites make it easy to use smart sports betting strategies.