The Basics of Sports Betting

Become familiar with the basics of sports betting before you try your hand at making a wager. Betting is much more than a gut feeling or blindly choosing a team – it’s about following a strategy and understanding the odds of winning (and losing).

Money management: Regardless of your skill level, you need to set aside a specific amount that you can afford to lose when placing bets. This is referred to as your bankroll and it’s a good idea to keep bets within 1%-5% of your total.

Betting on unique circumstances: Bets made on teams due to a particular circumstance are more likely to win than those that are simply because you like the team or player. It’s important to study every team, player, and game before placing a bet. Staying on top of hundreds of college and professional teams is a difficult task, but it can give you the edge needed to make smart bets.

Over/Under bets: A popular way to increase the excitement of a game, over/under bets involve predicting whether or not two teams will combine for more or less than the total amount posted by oddsmakers. For example, if the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks game has a combined total of 42.5 points, you would place a bet on the over.

One of the best ways to bet intelligently is by using data analysis tools. These tools can help you find real trends in the market, which can lead to profitable bets. For example, NHL road underdogs that start their back up goalie in the first game of a back-to-back are much more likely to cover the puckline than those that don’t.