Betting on sports is one of the most popular ways to gamble in the world. But how does it work exactly, and what can you bet on?
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If you’ve ever placed a sports bet before you will be very aware that achieving a successful outcome is anything but easy! Maybe you already game online and play poker, bingo or other casino games and would like to try your hand at sports betting.
Here are a few tips to get you started, and hopefully, lead you to success!
Sports Betting Tips
Luck is often regarded as the predominant force in sports betting, but do not rely on it. Yes, some people get lucky occasionally but they are the exception, not the rule. Successful betting relies predominantly on preparation, skill and dedication.
- Do Your Research: Only place bets on sports you actually know something about. Even then, research the teams or players you want to place a bet on. For example, people who are huge football fans will have a good chance of predicting a game/league. However, they might let their love of a certain team blind them.
- Use Your Head: It’s very easy to only want to place bets on your favourite team to win. The reality is few teams win all their games. So look at past results against the opposition and bet with your head, not your heart.
- Check The Odds: You may have a favourite bookmaker but it’s smart to search through the competition to find better odds. The difference, especially in-play, can be huge. If you have a specific bet in mind, take a few minutes to find the bookmaker offering the best Premier League Betting Odds. If you win, you’ll make more money. If you lose, you would have lost the same amount anyway.
- Stick To A Budget: There isn’t a person alive who has won a bet and not wished they’d put more money on it. Hindsight is great but reality says only bet what you can comfortably afford.
Betting Markets
When betting on sports, there are hundreds upon hundreds of different betting markets. Using football as an example, you can bet on anything from ‘who will score first’ to ‘whether there will be a throw-in in the 89th minute’.
This is great as it adds variety and excitement to games you may not be interested in. However, it does allow for you to bet on some ridiculous outcomes so you need to be careful.
Across most team sports you can bet on things such as;
- The result
- First scorer
- Half-time score line
- Full-time score line
- The margin of victory
- Which player will score the most?
Make sure when looking at theses markets you truly understand what you are betting on. Some of them can be confusing, even to the most experienced sports gamblers. Once you have fully understood it, only then should you then bet on it as bookmakers won’t refund you because you’ve made a mistake!
Betting On Unfamiliar Sports
There are sports with plenty of betting markets that you may not be interested in. So what do you do? Should you still bet on them?
Gather information, analyse the facts, and weigh up the probabilities before you make your bet. Make sure that your information comes from sound sources. ‘Hot tips’ from friends don’t cut it as an expert opinion.
Look for websites that offer free stats on as many sports as possible. Researching may sound a bit heavy going, but if you don’t then it is your own money that you’re losing. And the aim of betting is to make a profit!
Even if you are as prepared as you possibly could have been, you might still lose – but you will have made the effort and in the long run, you will come out a winner.
Remember, know your betting options as there are numerous ways that you can bet on a sporting event or game. A straight bet is a simple and easy bet, whereas a future bet is best for those who have a good knowledge of the event or sport.
Always avoid long shots. To be successful at sports betting you are better off not searching for the ultimate instant get-rich-quick bet. Steadily bet in a knowledgeable fashion and then hopefully you will get a fair amount of victories.
Avoid hunches and ‘good feelings’ that you get about who is going to win or lose. You will most often find that your intuition is not as good as you thought!
Manage your money and know your limits – never risk more than you can afford to lose. No matter how great a winner you think you are on to, you’re still gambling, and things can go wrong!
