Understand the concept of value. If you don't have this, walk away. Sure you might be. This is a never-ending debate in the sports betting community, extending all the way from internet forums to the most successful sharps in sports betting history. Our best advice? Get comfortable with the different advantages and disadvantages of hedging a bet, and apply this knowledge to your own bets. The suitability of hedges vary based on.

• How To Sports Bet
• Sports Bets To Make Today
• Make Bets Online For Sports
• How To Do Sports Bets
• How To Make Good Sports Bets Against
• How To Bet On Sports

When it comes to wagering on sports, the future has arrived. New laws and attitudes about gambling have made the hobby more accessible and accepted than ever before. Gone are the days of dealing with shady figures and defensiveness from professional sports leagues when the topic is brought up.

The rise of fantasy football and US sports betting apps have brought even the most fringe sports fans into the world of sports gambling. Some of the biggest sport shows on TV discuss lines, spreads, and odds in great detail.

But if you’re completely new to sports betting, you’ll be surprised at some facts you may not know about betting and how it works.

Although whether you’re a casual sports fan who’s just looking to make a few extra bucks during the weekend, or a hardcore, analytical individual who thinks the right system could be extremely profitable, these sports betting tips are what you need to know to get started.

1 – Create a Betting Bankroll

Your bankroll is crucial because it’s the key to keeping track of the money coming in and going out. Your bankroll should keep you in check and help you avoid spiraling out of control, or making bets that can really hurt your bottom line long-term.

Creating a bankroll isn’t difficult. Set aside an amount of money you can afford to lose (this is important) and don’t add more to it without serious consideration. Next, determine a percentage, or a percentage range, of that overall amount that you’ll bet on each game.

The key to being a profitable sports bettor is to keep track of the numbers and manage your bankroll. Without an adequate tracking strategy, you put yourself at risk of suffering big losses. If you’re just starting out, develop this habit from the jump and you’ll be better off for it.

2 – Learn the Different Types of Sports Bets

When you really get down to it, there are nearly endless types of bets you can place on sports. There are even secret US sports bets that many bettors don’t know about unless they’ve done their research. However, when you’re just starting out, it’s best to focus on the more popular bets and get a good handle on how it all works.

I’ll lay out the three most common that can be utilized effectively on just about any team sporting event.

Moneyline Bets

The moneyline is what you bet on when you’re choosing a team to win the game outright. You’ll see it listed beside the team as a (+) or (-) number. For example, in a game between the Colts and Packers, you might see “Colts +200” and “Packers -160.” This means that if you bet $100 on the Colts (the underdog) and win, you’d come away with $200.

On the other side, it would take a $160 bet on the Packers (the favorite) to win $100. Note that you don’t need to bet $100, but that’s the scale. For example, you could bet $10 to win $20 or $16 to win $10.

Spread Bets

Betting on the spread is a favorite of gamblers because it makes every game interesting. An example of a spread might be Eagles vs. Cowboys, with Eagles at -3.5 which would make them the favorite. On the other side, the Cowboys would be the underdog at +3.5.

If you bet on the Eagles, they must win by more than 3.5 in order for you to win your bet. If you bet on the Cowboys, you’d need them to lose by less than 3.5 and you’d come out on top.

When there’s no half-point involved, it’s possible to tie in what’s known as a “push.” For example, if the Eagles are -4 and end up winning by 4 exactly, nobody wins and you get your money back.

Over/Under Bets

Don’t really know who has the advantage in a game but have a feeling it’s going to be a high-scoring affair? Throw down your bet on the over! The over/under is probably the most simple bet in the game. The book will provide a number, and you decide if you think the combined final score will be over or under that number.

You might notice that in most of your bets it isn’t a perfect 1:1 risk to reward ratio. Typically, sportsbooks will make each “evenly-matched” bet, such as the spread or the over/under, a -110 proposition. That extra 10 is known as the “juice.” Essentially, it’s how the books make money if there’s 50% of the money on either side. There’s all kinds of betting math to understand, but you’ll pick up on it as you become more familiar.

3 – Find a Good SportsBook (But Don’t Get Too Loyal)

One of the best things about the increasingly relaxed laws regarding sports gambling is that several online sportsbooks are competing for your business. If you shop around for some deals that online books offer, you can find some that are worth exploring.

For example, several online books offer a matching bonus such as a free $100 when you load up $150 onto your account. It’s easy to think these offers are scams, but they’re genuine attempts to win your loyalty.

This is where another important tip comes in. Don’t become overly loyal to one particular sportsbook. On any given bet you’re looking to make, there’s a good chance you can find an offer on another site that gives you slightly better odds or a higher payout for your money.

This applies to regular sportsbooks, too. Say you’re visiting the Las Vegas’ Westgate sportsbook, you may be drawn in because it’s the largest sportsbook in the world. This shouldn’t stop you from shopping around the books over at Caesar’s Palace Casino.

They’re both great sportsbook options and could be offering bettors different moneylines.

So while it’s easier to just stick with one site where you feel comfortable, if you’re looking to make money and not just bet for entertainment, choosing the right book or books is very important.

4 – Don’t Chase Your Sports Betting Losses

This goes hand-in-hand with effective bankroll management. When you inevitably lose one or more bets, you want to make up your money as quickly as possible. In fact, you might even try to make up from two $20 losses by betting $40 on the next game. Don’t do this.

You’re going to have stretches where it feels like you’re losing the majority of your games. On the flip side, you will have stretches where you get hot and win a few in a row. The key to sports betting is to never get so deep in a hole that you put yourself in serious financial jeopardy.

It’s hard to do, but focus on making up losses by going slow and steady, not by taking a major risk. Effective sports betting is a long-term game and avoiding big losses is the best way to stick around until you’re safely in the green.

5 – Don’t Bet Blind

If you think sports betting is simply a game of chance, you’re not looking at it correctly. Having some degree of knowledge of a particular sport is hugely advantageous.

How To Sports Bet

Just make sure that you’ve done some type of research before placing a bet. Remember, you don’t have to bet every game and sometimes, the best option is sitting it out.

Conclusion

Sports betting, for most, is a fun hobby that can put a few extra dollars in your pocket while increasing your enjoyment of watching the games. Before you dive headfirst into the action, take some time and get familiar with the options available to you.

As you get comfortable, you can experiment with all the other betting options like parlays and teasers, but as a beginner, it’s good to stick to the basics. As with any good vice, everything in moderation. Good luck!

Whether you’re gambling on football, baseball, UFC, or any other sport, every sports bettor should follow a set of basic rules to bet smart and win money. Even if you are new to sports betting, establishing a consistent system early could lead to success in the outset of your gambling career.

Gambling can be a rewarding and profitable challenge if you know how to approach the industry. But, If you find yourself losing more than you’re winning, consider following the tips below.

For those new to gambling, or even veterans who are reevaluating your approach to betting, here are seven tips to help you make smarter sports bets.

1 – Stick to One Sport

If you find yourself on a losing streak or feel exhausted while scouting and placing bets, you might be overextending yourself. High volume betting is an excellent method for experienced gamblers who have an established system that works for them. If you’re somewhat new to betting or consistently lose, I recommend finding one sport to bet on and stick to it.

Whichever sport you pick is up to you; it truly makes no difference as long as you devote the time and energy to understand better how to win money on the sport. In the sports gambling world, being a jack of all trades and master of none might sound more enjoyable in theory, but stretching your sports acumen too thin can lead to consistent losses and a depleted bankroll.

Sports Bets To Make Today

2 ‒ Use Flat Betting

Make Bets Online For Sports

When I first started gambling on sports years ago, I made every textbook mistake out there. My biggest mistake was habitually developing tunnel vision on one particular bet and unloading several units, convincing myself it was a winner. Rarely do those large bets go my way.

Gamblers are prone to find a line that is too tantalizing to pass on and delude themselves into thinking they can outsmart the book. When this happens, you can sustain significant losses and take yourself out of action more often than not. Instead of making a few large bets, you should be mindful of your bankroll and make several bets of equal value with a smaller amount on the line.

This practice, known as flat betting, is a practice that eliminates the potential of suffering significant losses and forces you to maintain a consistent approach to gambling. Even if some of these smaller bets don’t win, you can bounce back and turn to some of the other bets you place to recoup losses.

3 ‒ Make Small Bets to Start

How To Do Sports Bets

On the same line of thinking, placing smaller wagers is a great way to familiarize yourself with a particular sport. The only way to learn how to beat the book and win money is to find a successful strategy. This strategy can only be developed if you are consistently betting.

Smaller bets aren’t as appealing as one big bet that could potentially double your bankroll. But if a large bet loses and you blow past your bankroll, you take yourself out of the game and stunt any progress until you can reload your roll.

The amount you decide on depends on personal preference, but in my experience, betting 1% to 2% of your bankroll per bet works for me. So, if your bankroll is $750, each bet should be somewhere between $7.50 to $15. Once again, the amount is up to you, but never bet an amount you’re not comfortable losing.

4 ‒ Take It Seriously

At the beginning of any sports gambler’s career, the question of purpose needs to be asked. You need to figure out whether this is a side hobby to blow off steam, or if you’re sports betting to make money. If you fall into the latter category, you need to think of yourself as a small business.

The most important factor of a small business is profit, and you won’t achieve profits if your books aren’t consistent. Make sure to utilize a bankroll: a daily, weekly, or monthly budget, so you don’t jeopardize your financial security. This point cannot be overvalued. Virtually every successful gambler sets a limit and doesn’t exceed that amount.

5 ‒ Don’t Bet Like a Sports Fan

When you’re deciding which sport or which team to bet on, remind yourself why you’re gambling in the first place. If you engage in sports betting to add some excitement and entertainment value to the games you watch, that’s perfectly fine. But if you’re betting to win money, you need to approach lines like a sports gambler, not a sports fan.

This concept manifests itself in many forms, most prevalently in the form of the hometown bias bettor. Betting on your favorite teams and favorite players might make sense to you. I mean, who knows your team better than you, right? When you bet like a sports fan, you open yourself up to potentially making emotionally charged decisions, rather than adequately vetted.

I rarely, if ever, bet for or against my favorite team. Not only do I recognize that I’m incapable of removing bias from the situation, betting on my team can ruin the experience of watching games. Don’t let yourself believe that your diehard fanhood will translate to gambling wins.

6 ‒ Shop for the Best Line

Unless you have the luxury of knowing a bookie, most sites and sportsbooks have built-in “vigs” or advantages in the lines they set. The house always wins, even if they lose, they’re taking a small percentage of your winnings as a standard fee. Because of this, sports gamblers are still at a disadvantage.

To try to lessen this advantage, you should make sure you’re getting the best value on your bets. Lines can vary between sportsbooks and websites, so you have the opportunity to find the best line and maximize profitability. Shopping for lines can be tedious, and you might think a small difference between lines makes no difference.

However, if a book is giving you an extra point on a particular bet, that could be the difference between a win and a loss. Several well-reviewed sports websites all around the internet offer the potential of added value. Before you place a wager, make sure you’re finding the best line and best odds.

7 ‒ Research and Bet Sober

There are few things better than taking in a football game on Sunday with a cold drink in your hand: sports and drinking are a classic combination. Once again, gambling on sports and watching sports are two separate activities, and they should be approached as such. The best sports handicappers will tell you that a bet made under the influence can be a dangerous thing.

All the research and analysis you engage in should be conducted with a clear mind to make sure your decisions aren’t impaired. Sports gambling, like any other form of gambling, is challenging enough as it is. There’s no need to make it more complicated.

How To Make Good Sports Bets Against

If you’ve placed your final bets for the day and want to reward yourself with a drink, make sure you don’t go down the rabbit hole of drunkenly chasing potential losses. This is where inexperienced gamblers routinely find trouble. To win serious money, you need to think of gambling as a second job. You don’t drink at your day job, so consider setting that standard for your sports gambling career.

Conclusion

Sports gambling is a serious business, and as a part of the betting world, you should take yourself seriously. Even if you consider gambling a hobby, it’s always more fun to win than it is to lose. New gamblers need to make sure to start on the right foot and themselves to a high standard.

How To Bet On Sports

Profit may be hard to come by in the early stages, but if you follow these tips, you will put yourself in a position to succeed. Make sure to start with smaller wagers on one sport, remove emotional attachments to particular teams and players, manage your money, and treat gambling like a small business. Following these tips will give you a strong base to learn about the industry and figure out the best strategy for you.