Sports Betting Tips & Strategies

Betting.us Staff By Betting.us Staff Updated: September 18, 2024
Betting.us Staff Betting.us Staff

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Are you a new or seasoned sports bettor looking to increase your success? Then you can't pass up our guide on the top sports betting tips and strategies. Here, we've outlined some tried and tested advice that bettors and betting experts alike use. By mastering these, you can make more informed wagers.

Sports Betting Strategies

If you're new to sports betting, the first thing needed will be to take the steps to create a sportsbook account. Rather than being reliant on luck, the next step would be to employ vertain strategies and tips to boost your chances of winning. That said, all outcomes are still impossible to predict, and we cannot guarantee success.

The best sports betting advice is that your knowledge and experience are the cornerstones of good betting. While experience will come with time, you can arm yourself with a wealth of information before placing your wagers that can immediately positively impact your future outlook.

Below, we've provided several tried and tested strategies employed by new, regular, and expert bettors.

Back Teams/Players on Winning Streaks

With a little research, you'll be able to find out if teams or players in the competition have been on long-winning streaks. The longer these winning streaks, the better their momentum will be to win again. Of course, the odds to back them will be much smaller, but the probability of a sports betting success is higher.

Just because a player is a favorite does not mean it's worthless to back them. Because the odds will be lower, you may wish to put more money on it to increase your profit, but this is up to your discretion. Additionally, only backing low odds is not the best way to make profits but should be used selectively.

Follow the Crowd

If you are part of a sports betting forum, you're bound to find reliable pundits who offer good betting ideas before an event. It may take some time to find the bettors with the most consistent bets, but when you do, it could be wise to follow their bets for a round.

This is especially worth doing if a number of reliable bettors make the same predictions, as it's likely that they've committed hours of research to reach their selections. Although no bettor has a perfect track record and their top betting tips will always vary, this is a great option for newcomers to experiment with.

Bet Against the Crowd

This strategy is essentially the opposite of the one that came before. It's often most effective in situations where public opinion heavily skews the odds, creating value on the less popular side. It's typically advisable when you have insights that contradict general public sentiment, especially in markets with many amateur bettors, where herd mentality can lead to imbalanced odds. Although it's generally not the best way to bet on sports, it's worth experimenting.

One of the most famous instances of betting against the crowd was that of Dave Oancea. A professional gambler who bet $100,000 on the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series at 30-1 odds, winning $2.5 million. He's living proof that with experience comes reward.

Arbitrage Betting

Arbitrage betting is one of the only valuable sports betting tips that when used correctly, guarantees a payout. That said, we admit that this does take a keen eye, plenty of research, and acceptance that payouts won't be huge.

Essentially, arbitrage betting takes advantage of moneyline odds differences from competing sportsbooks. These odds have to back opposite teams to win with similar odds. By backing the same amount on the higher-odds winning team at each site, you will receive a guaranteed return of your profit. You can practice the logic behind this strategy by using any number of arbitrage calculators.

Matched Betting Strategy

One common piece of sports gambling advice from professionals is to try the matched betting strategy. Admittedly, this is quite a complicated process for new bettors to learn. However, once you are familiar with its mechanisms, it's actually another way to guarantee a profit from your welcome bonus.

A matched betting strategy typically involves placing a bet at a bookmaker and then using a betting exchange to lay (bet against) the same outcome. This ensures a win regardless of the event's result. For instance, using a first bet offer, you might bet on Team A to win a match with a bookmaker. Simultaneously, you lay Team A at a betting exchange. The lay bet wins if Team A loses or draws, covering all possible outcomes.

This strategy aims to guarantee a win with at least one bet without risking your own cash. Betting exchanges are just starting to debut in the USA, but as they expand into your market, this is a worthy strategy to learn.

Tips & Tricks for Successful Betting

In addition to the above strategies, there are several common pieces of professional sports gambler advice that all new players should abide by. In fact, many of the above strategies rely on one or more of the tips listed in this section, as each is an essential element of level-headed and wise decision-making.

Learn the Basics

We've started our list of tips for sports betting with the most essential: learn the fundamentals. This means familiarizing yourself with the different bet types, what odds mean, their varying display options, and the difference between pre-match and live betting. Learn the basics of sports betting to aid with your online betting tips, research, and understand how bonuses work.

Always Compare Odds

Of all our professional betting tips, the logic behind the advice to always undertake an odds comparison is the clearest. If you've already set on a market you wish to back, comparing prices with competitor sites will ensure that you place your bet with a site that guarantees the most profit.

For example, consider a football match between Team A and Team B. Bookmaker X offers odds of 1.75 for Team A to win, while Bookmaker Y offers odds of 1.80 for the same outcome. A bettor seeking the best value would choose Bookmaker Y for a higher potential return on the same bet.

Do Your Research

Research is another of our online betting tips that you'll hear all experienced bettors share. You should consider a number of factors before backing an outcome, including the historical performances of the competing teams, rivalries, and whether any players are injured. These can significantly impact the outcomes of games that traditional odds may not consider.

Bet Sober

We understand that betting at casino resorts or watching games with your friends may involve the consumption of alcohol. However, it's also undeniable that alcohol consumption can lead to riskier behavior and poor decision-making. We urge you to consider this alongside our other sports gambling tips if you want to bet with clarity and precision.

Practice Good Bankroll Management

A professional bettor knows that selecting and sticking to a bankroll strategy is the best way to maximize your funds. A classic way to manage your bankroll is the fixed unit strategy. You bet a constant amount, like 2% of your bankroll, on every wager. For example, if you've set aside $1000 for your bankroll, wager $20 (2% of $1000) on each bet.

You can also try a more complex management style like the so-called Kelly Criterion. In this strategy, you consider the perceived odds of winning. For example, if you estimate a 55% chance of winning a bet at even odds, the Kelly formula suggests betting approximately 5% of your bankroll.

Bet Online

This piece of advice is based on the idea that it's possible to compare odds and take advantage of bonuses and promotions when you choose to gamble online. Although not all states have legal online betting, when possible, we recommend that you give it a go for the convenience, value, and perks. We also explain everything you need to know about how to use sportsbook promos.

Disregard Your Favorite Teams

The best ways to bet on sports require you to wager with your head and not your heart. It might pain you to bet against your favorite team, but if it's not likely to win, it doesn't make sense to bet on it. You can support your teams without having to back them with your bet.

Experiment

Once you're familiar with the best tips for sports betting and have a firm grasp on what you're doing, you should be ready to experiment with your wagers. Try markets you have yet to wager on, and if you favor pre-match betting only, try live betting for a faster-paced experience. You may find an option that brings more excitement to your play.

Take Breaks to Cooldown

Any betting tips expert understands that wagering can become a stressful and disappointing endeavor at the drop of a hat. If you're experiencing this, it may be time to take a break. Sports betting should be fun, first and foremost. A self-imposed pause and reflection can be essential to gain perspective and prevent problem gambling behaviors from developing.

How to Become a Pro Sports Bettor

If you follow our top tips betting strategies, you'll be on your way to becoming a pro sports bettor. That said, professional betting requires extensive knowledge and experience. You will need to learn how to research upcoming games, teams, and players and how to take advantage of odds and promos.

It can take years to accumulate this knowledge, but it can be a very rewarding and enjoyable pursuit. Start by making conservative bets on simple markets before experimenting on new markets with larger wagers. Be sure to stick to a budget and always gamble with your head, not your heart.

Helpful Resources for Bettors

Several online resources are available to bettors of all experience levels that offer the best sports betting tips and tricks. As we've mentioned, sports betting forums are a great source of information. That's where you'll find several in-depth discussions on upcoming local and international games and betting tips.

You'll also be able to find informative statistics and valuable insights into players and teams at the official sports leagues' websites. Many major publications also have sports betting experts listing their weekly picks alongside thorough explanations. There are also several podcasts and YouTube personalities like @OddsJam that offer analyses and picks.

Tools & Software  
Pros & Influencers  
Podcasts & Streams  
Picks & Expert Tips  
Educational Materials  
News & Analysis  

Easiest Sports to Make Money On

One common misconception is that some sports are easier to make money on than others. Although this is not entirely true, you'll find that popular sports will often have more sports betting tips that can be used to inform your bets. These include the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and international soccer.

Major sporting events such as the March Madness college basketball season, the Super Bowl, and the Summer Olympics generate large betting handles. This tends to result in operators offering more favorable and competitive odds to attract bettors. These events may provide generous promos such as odds boosts.

FAQ

Are you looking for quick answers to questions about sports betting tips and strategies? In this section, we have answered the most common queries regarding advice for sports gambling in easy-to-read and concise terms. Use the jump-links in each to find more details.

What are the best sports betting strategies?

The best strategy depends on the situation, but when you're just starting out, following the crowd is recommended. When you gather more experience, you can try more advanced strategies.

What is the best way to be successful at sports betting?

You must forge your own path! Find a bankroll strategy that works for you, explore different resources of information, and learn what to look for when researching an upcoming game. Sports betting can be as straightforward or as complex as you want.

Where can I find helpful sports gambling resources and tips?

You can find several useful tips on this page. For more resources, you can check out our other guides. Whether you want to refresh the basics with our 101 guide or go deeper into understanding point spread, we've got you covered.

Conclusion

Now that you've reached the end of this guide to the top sports betting tips and strategies, we hope you feel ready to bet confidently. We've ensured that all of these tips are easy to follow for newcomers, and if you follow these from the beginning, we guarantee that you'll make wiser and more informed decisions. Add more strings to your bow by taking a look at our other sports betting guides which cover more topics for beginners.

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Meet the creators behind our content: a collaborative of seasoned professionals, each with their area of expertise. From analytical minds dissecting odds and legal counselors demystifying regulations to strategic players sharing their secrets, our team's diverse backgrounds enrich every piece of advice and insight we offer.

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