Did you know that it is possible to increase your chances of winning at sports betting if you choose the right sports betting site, have an effective betting strategy and understand value bets?
It can be difficult when you are just starting out with sports betting. It is possible to lose a lot of money if you don’t make the right decisions.
The good news is that there are several simple things you can do to become better at placing sports bets.
We’ve written a guide that breaks down sports betting for beginners. Keep reading if you are interested in finding out more.
Why Get Started With Sports Betting
One of the most common reasons why people start sports betting is because they want to add to the thrill of watching their favorite games and competitions.
Most people who bet on sports are doing so for recreational purposes. They tend to be more interested in enjoying themselves than in establishing a lucrative means of income.
If you enjoy the challenge of putting your sports knowledge to the test, you should consider getting started with online sports betting.
You might be able to win money, but it is a good idea to look at sports betting as a hobby. This is why it is important to follow the guideline of never wagering more money than you are willing to lose.
How Odds Work
Every time that you place a bet, you’ll see a + or a – sign in front of the number. These signs show who are the favorites and who are the underdogs.
Whenever you see a + sign, it means that this particular bet is more likely to hit. And a – sign signifies that this bet is a bit riskier.
For example, the New York Nets could have designated odds of -200 to beat the Portland Blazers in an NBA basketball game. The Blazers might have a number of +150, which means that they are underdogs.
This minus sign at the start of the New York Net’s betting odds signifies that oddsmakers believe that there is a high likelihood that this bet will hit.
If you chose to bet on the Nets and they ended up winning, you would earn less money than if the Blazers had won after you bet on them. This is because it is less risky to bet on a team that is favored to win.
How Oddsmakers Determine Betting Odds
Oddsmakers determine betting odds in Las Vegas. There are many different sportsbooks. They tend to set similar odds.
But it is still possible to find one or several “books” that have odds that are slightly different.
It is a good idea to pay close attention to sports picks and betting predictions on websites such as Bookmakers Review if you want to make informed betting decisions. Find out more at https://www.bookmakersreview.com/picks/
Once oddsmakers set their odds, the lines will continue to frequently change in response to which teams people are betting on.
This is why it is possible for oddsmakers can set a team to be a favorite, and people could place so many bets on the underdog that the odds shift, causing the favorite to become the underdog.
This is why professional betters pay close attention to “line movement,” which is how much the line has shifted from when it opened.
Whenever you notice a major line movement, it is a good idea to pay close attention to what is happening in the news. You might find out that a major player has recently gotten injured.
It is a good idea to understand why a line has shifted before placing a bet. You should also remember that it is not a good idea to place a bet just because lots of others are placing the same bet.
How Odds Influence How Much Money You Can Win
You can find out how much a bet of one hundred dollars could win by looking at the betting odds for a particular team. This is because sports betting sites factor everything around a one hundred dollar bet.
If you bet on a favorite that has odds of -150 this means that you need to wager one hundred and fifty dollars to win one hundred dollars.
On the other hand, if you placed a bet on the underdog that had odds of +180, you could win one hundred and eighty dollars if you placed a one hundred dollar bet.
How to Get Started with Sports Betting
It often feels like the learning curve is steep if you are new to sports betting. There are lots of components that you’ll need to keep track of.
Thankfully, it is possible to learn the ins and outs of sports betting by following several simple steps.
Know Your Budget
Before you start wagering money, you will need to set a budget and commit yourself to sticking to it. Some people prefer to set weekly budgets, while others choose to set monthly budgets.
It is also a good idea to never bet more money than you are willing to lose. This is an especially important guideline for beginners to follow.
People who are new to gambling are more likely to lose money than those who have lots of gambling experience.
Try to never wager more than two percent of your total bankroll. For example, if you have a five hundred dollar budget, you should only bet ten dollars per wager.
Decide What You Will Bet On
Consider betting on a sport that you already follow. Since you’ll already understand the rules for this sport, it will be easier for you to know which teams or players to place bets on.
Some sports are easier to bet on than others. And there are lots of sports that do not have year-round seasons.
There are plenty of betting opportunities for professional football, baseball, and basketball. It tends to be more difficult to bet on less popular sports such as racquetball and minor league baseball.
Create an Account with a Betting Site
Even though there are many states where it’s legal to make an in-person visit to place bets at bookmaking shops, it is much more convenient to go through online betting sites.
When you open accounts on these betting sites, you will need to supply personal details such as your name, address, when you were born, and your email address.
If you are not sure which online sports betting sites to use, take a few moments to go online to read reviews of online sports betting sites that are secure and easy to use.
Try to find sites that offer welcome bonuses. It is common for sports betting sites to offer people extra money to spend if they are placing bets for the first time.
Understand How Odds Work
Oddsmakers use odds to determine the payouts from winning wagers. They also use odds to show how likely a wager is to win or lose. There are three different ways that odds are shown on sports betting sites.
Decimal odds will display simple numbers such as 2.5 or 2.165.
Moneyline odds will display numbers with a + or a – in front, such as +100 or -200.
Fractional odds display fractions such as 3/2 or 4/6. This is a common format in the U.K.
Learn About the Different Kinds of Bets
There are lots of different ways to make wagers on sports games. If you are just starting out, it is a good idea to keep things as simple as possible.
You can make a moneyline bet in order to wager on which team or person will win a competition.
Choose a point spread if you want to bet on how many points your chosen team will win by.
If you want to place bets on which teams will win an entire season or tournament, you can place futures/outright bets.
Understand Your Odds of Winning
You can look at betting odds to find out how likely a team is to win or lose a competition. The odds will be low if a team is likely to win a game.
This is why you should look for lower odds if you want to increase your chances of winning. But winning bets will earn less money if the odds are low.
The reverse is also true. If a team has higher odds, it means that it is less likely that it will win.
If this team does end up winning after you place a bet on it, you’ll net greater profits than you would if you’d bet on a team that had low odds.
The Different Types of Sports Bets
You’ll need to understand more than how probabilities work if you want to be successful when you bet on sports. There are lots of different types of sports bets that you’ll need to know about.
Win Bets and Moneyline Wagers
This is the most common way that people bet on sports. All you need to do is bet on a single outcome. You’ll either need to bet on a particular player or a certain team.
Handicap Bets and Points Bets
Handicap betting is similar to point spread betting. With this kind of betting, oddsmakers offer a virtual advantage to certain teams so that competitions are more evenly matched.
This is shown by a “handicap” that a team will need to overcome in order for it to be a winning bet.
For example, if you wanted to bet on an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills, you might see a number between the Detroit Lions that reads +3.5 and a number beside the Buffalo Bills that reads -3.5.
In this competition, the oddsmakers have decided that the Buffalo Bills are the favorite at -3.5. If you place a bet on the Bills, this means that you’ll need to subtract 3.5 points from the game’s final score.
If the Bills still have more points than the Lions after you’ve subtracted 3.5 points, you’ve won the bet.
If you’d chosen to go with the handicap bet on the Lions, you’d need to add 3.5 points to the game’s final score. If this is higher than the Bills’ final score, you’ve won the bet.
Parlays and Accumulators
If you want to bet in parlays, you will need to make more than one choice as part of a single wager. It is possible to select up to ten different selections as your bet.
You can choose to bet on a combination of futures, point spreads, and totals.
People like to bet in a parley because it is flexible. You can wager on various sports, such as football, basketball, and baseball, within a single bet.
To win when you bet in parlays, it’s necessary to correctly predict each of your selections. You’ll lose your entire wager if you get any of your selections wrong.
Top Betting Mistakes to Avoid
The most important betting mistake to avoid is not managing your bankroll. Remember to set a gambling budget and not go over this budget.
It is also a good idea not to set unrealistic gambling expectations. It is easy to think that you can beat the odds when you have a feeling that your favorite team is going to win.
Try to make informed betting decisions instead of going with your gut.
Sports Betting for Beginners: Get Started Today
If you have never made sports bets before but are interested in getting started, it is a good idea to understand the basics of sports betting for beginners.
If you want to find out more about what it takes to become skilled at sports betting, make sure to visit the Lifestyle section of our website.
