Sports betting is an ongoing challenge that can deliver the highest highs and some gut wrenching lows. While it obviously involves a good deal of luck it also incorporates skill and intuition. There is no doubt you can improve the way you bet and continue the journey to profitability. Here are five Simple ways to become a better sports bettor.
1. Make Your Own Decisions
Catch a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.
Like all things in life autonomy is freedom. When it comes to sports betting the only way to have longevity is to be making your own betting decisions. What to bet on, when to bet, how much to bet and how often to bet, among other things, are all key decisions both beginning and experienced sports bettors are constantly making.
It’s essential that you learn to make these calls yourself. Come to your own conclusions. Of course in doing so you will make mistakes. Do not stress. Mistakes are evidence that learning is happening. Over time if you train your own ability to make analytical betting decisions you will get better. If someone else is making those betting decisions for you, you will never mature as a bettor.
Paying for picks can be expensive and the guarantee of consistently winning is nil. In fact the paid picks market is totally unregulated and services have no requirement to be transparent on previous win/loss record . On top of that any profit you may gain is undermined by the fact the picks cost you money. Therefore the threshold for profitability is higher. Use at your own peril.
Following handicappers on social media might mean you gain some picks for free. But are they really worth anything anyway when deciphering between good picks and bad ones is nearly impossible. There are few more empty feelings than following someone else’s picks and having them get beaten. If you are going us social media to assist your betting follow people who give advice based on experience.
The final issue with ‘tailing’ someone else’s picks is the natural delay that occurs between a pick being posted and you as the bettor getting some money down. This delay means that the price may have moved since the pick was released and you have probably missed any intrinsic value
The hallmark of a good decision is a sound rationale. For each bet you place you should be able to explain your reasoning. Even if your reasoning is somewhat floored at least by being honest with yourself as to why you bet you can reflect and improve on that thinking. If you aren’t able to explain clearly why you want to place a particular bet, then don’t make the bet!
The Sports betting journey is one of constant growth. Make your own decisions and your game will improve.
2. Simplify Your Bets
It doesn’t take long to realise that sports betting is a 24/7 business. If you want action there is always sports on somewhere. Mobile betting just increases the availability.
Here is the thing; betting on everything and anything is a one way ticket to bankroll bankruptcy. Sportsbooks love the action junkie. Don’t be that person.
Narrow the focus. Not just the focus on fewer sports but on fewer markets within the sports you bet. By focusing more intently on specific sports you will become more detail oriented about the variables that influence the game. You will spot trends and you will find ways to target the weakness within the markets.
On mainstream sports, mobile sportsbooks offer literally hundreds of markets and variations of markets. It’s highly unlikely that as a bettor you would be able to stay across each and every one of these let alone bet on them effectively. Avoid the exotics. At least at first.
Stick to two or three common markets and become an expert. For example moneyline and point spreads, futures and totals or parlays and common player props. Pick, stick and focus.
To the outsider, simplifying your bets may seem like a conservative and/or boring approach. Rest assured there is nothing boring about banking profit from some astute sports betting investments.
3. Back Your Judgement
Overcoming self doubt is a battle everyone fights. Its intrinsically linked to confidence and if it takes hold your ability to think clearly can be destroyed. When it comes to sports betting, kill the self doubt and back your judgement.
The first way to do this is to realise the outcome of your last bet has no influence on the bet you are about to place. None at all. It may influence the way you behave but it doesn’t affect the outcome positively or negatively. They are unrelated. Know this deep in your soul and the way you bet will change!
A losing streak is a normal part of betting on sports. So are winning streaks. While losing can do bad things to your confidence, it’s important to know that this is the time to steel yourself and continue to back your processes.
Consensus is a poor indicator of probability. Just because a seemingly large number of people believe in one particular outcome, doesn’t mean they are 100% right or even right at all. If you have completed your due diligence then your judgement is the best voice to listen too. After all, finding value in the sports betting market often means you have found something the vast majority of bettors are asleep to. You are going against the flow. Back yourself!
The sports media landscape is noisy. Shut out the noise, particularly prominent media analysis which is usually biased towards fan favored teams and is looking for the sensational story. The talking heads (or shouting) are wrong often, too often. There is no accountability for the dribble they push out on a daily basis. Finding winners in the sports betting world has little to do with the soap opera of off field drama and social media posts.
If anything, take confidence from the fact your judgement is different to the mainstream media. It probably means you are heading in the right direction and the reward is the value you can grab because the media focus has gone somewhere else.
As the great Fleetwood Mac famously sung, “Go your own way”.
4. Use More Than One Sportsbook
This is close to the easiest positive change you can make to your sports betting. With mobile sportsbetting exploding the incentives to open accounts at multiple books are real and lucrative. Owning accounts at multiple books does not make you a sports betting addict, it makes you savvy.
Leverage your business to access the best promotions. Your sports betting dollars are much sort after and books will incentivise you to bring it their way. There are plenty of bet boosts, deposit bonuses and cash back deals, among other things, for you to take advantage of.
Be preplanned and open these accounts ahead of time. Prevent the delay in registering from making you miss great opportunities. This way you will be able to grab the best price, point spread or totals number on a market you like and increase your margin, or at the very least decrease the sportsbook’s margin.
Ok, it is very true that it takes a little bit more effort to switch between books and track where your money is at any one point in time but this is counteracted by the long list of benefits. If the extra effort seems too difficult, start small. Find a second book and try them. Compare user experience, become familiar with the app and build your competency over time.
5. Reflect and Refine
Don’t play the blame game when things aren’t going your way. Analyse what went wrong and assess what you could have done better or different. When your winning be careful to remain in your lane. Refine and reflect.
Self reflection can be difficult because being honest with yourself is not easy. It is uncomfortable. When betting on sports, it’s completely necessary.
Thankfully online and mobile sportsbooks offer full tracking of your bet history which makes analysis much easier than the mundane task of creating your own recording system. A constant analysis of your bet history allows you to identify your bet sizing, the timing of the bets and the prices you bought. All powerful information.
Drill down into the time of day you are placing bets, perhaps you are rushed which leads to impulse decisions. Is there a more effective time for you to research markets and bet?
Find what is working. There may be a particular sport or bet type which your are consistently winning. Maybe you can narrow the focus to these bet types for a while
Reflection is critical. The refinement that comes from these reflections is where the money is made. As you reflect on your betting develop real action steps that you can implement next time you bet. It will remove inefficiencies and stop needles capital sacrificing.
Sometimes winning more often is actually a result of losing less. Seems obvious, but making it happen takes some effort!
The Game Starts Now!
Improving your sports betting is not about throwing more darts or investing more cash, it’s about adjusting your behavior. Small changes can have a profound effect. Start with these five simple changes and the growth will profound!
Good luck and always bet responsibly!