Sports betting is a great way to earn money by placing bets on sports. Whether you want to place bets on a particular game or an entire season, it’s important to learn the basics of sports betting so you can make educated wagers and increase your chances of winning.
The Basics: Understanding Sports Betting
When it comes to sports betting, the most important thing is to understand how odds are set. This information will help you avoid being ripped off by a bookie or sportsbook.
Oddsmakers have spent decades analyzing hundreds of thousands of games, which is why they are so accurate in setting lines for bettors. In addition to using their expertise and resources, they employ sophisticated programs and algorithms to find the most efficient lines.
Books often offer win totals prior to each season, which are season-long bets on a team’s success throughout the course of the year. They adjust these odds throughout the year based on how each team is performing, and can change the line significantly as the season progresses.
Power ratings are numerical values assigned to teams in each sport, and they rank the best and worst teams on a scale of one to ten. Professional bettors have differing opinions and use different formulas, but these numbers can be useful in making informed wagers.
Expected value is a key tool for sharp bettors because it allows them to weigh their bets by expected probability. This gives them an edge over other bettors and is a critical part of any successful sports betting strategy.
A positive expected value bet is a wager on a team that has a greater than 50% chance of winning. Similarly, a negative expected value bet is a wager on an underdog with a less than 50% chance of winning.
The +EV bet is a foundational betting strategy, one that casual bettors, often referred to as “the public,” do not use enough. This is because most bettors think they have a high chance of winning and are less likely to use this method.
It is important to remember that no matter how smart you are, it’s impossible to win every single time you bet. There is always risk and you can never bet 100% of your bankroll, so it’s vital to manage your money and limit your losses to ensure you won’t go broke with a bad run.
Bankroll Management: The Key to Enjoying Your Bets
A sports betting bankroll is a budget that you set for yourself before placing any bets. This should include a unit size and bet percentage that you will adhere to on a regular basis.
When you’re ready to start betting, a good rule of thumb is to only use 1% to 3% of your bankroll on a game or outcome. You can also spread out your bets and bet larger amounts of money on multiple games or outcomes, but you should keep your bankroll in check by limiting the amount you risk.