Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, and with good reason. It’s a fast-paced game that puts a lot on the line; however, the fun and excitement can also make it quite profitable to bet on the sport. Here’s how to get the most out of betting on basketball.
Watch The Game Live
One of the key ways to make large amounts of money off betting on basketball is to bet on the games live. Just like with any other sport, you can make a lot more money if you bet on games during the season. The reason is simple: the games that you’ll see during the regular season are the games that the bookmakers will favor. If you want to maximize your earnings off basketball betting, the best thing you can do is to watch the games live.
Living in Australia, I get to experience both cricket and basketball throughout the year. While on the subject of cricket, it’s fairly well-known that there’s a season when the sport isn’t played at all. This is mainly due to the fact that it can be very unprofitable to bet on cricket during this time, as most of the bookmakers will choose to ignore the game completely. When the sport is interrupted by a few weeks of bad weather, the odd shops that do take the bets will have a huge impact on the Australian economy. It’s the same with basketball; during the offseason, when there aren’t any games to watch, the odds for all kinds of betting become incredibly favorable for the sports bettor. You’ll see games with massive odds of +10000000 or more, which means that for every $100 you bet, you’ll win $1M or more!
Know The Basics
It’s important to know the basics when betting on sports, and this goes double for basketball. Just because there aren’t any games during the offseason doesn’t mean that you can simply go making bets willy-nilly. The first thing you’ll need to do is to determine whether or not you’re actually able to place bets on the sport. Some sportsbooks will let you make these kind of bets, but they may also have additional fees for doing so. The second thing you’ll need to do is to determine the odds of each outcome, and the third is to find out whether or not your chosen bookmaker offers a good variety of betting options.
Study The Odds
Even if you’re allowed to place bets on basketball, it doesn’t mean that you should simply go making random wagers. There’s a lot more to studying the odds than simply looking at the spread, as this is often times misleading. You’ll need to look at all the relevant data, such as the teams’ records, injuries, and much more. When you do this, it’ll become evident whether or not betting on this sport is actually worth it, based on how much you can potentially win or lose.
Look At History
One of the most important things you can do if you want to maximize your earnings off betting on basketball is to look at history. Although the sport is very competitive and exciting to follow, considering all the strategies that coaches and players use, it can be very difficult to actually predict how a game will turn out. Looking at previous games and calculating their outcome can give you a good idea of how much you’ll earn or lose based on the current game.
If you want to increase your winning percentage, it’s important to analyze the factors that brought about the previous wins and losses. By knowing this, you’ll be able to devise a strategy for the current game that will lead to bigger profits. For example, did the previous game end in a blowout, or did the spread get extremely favorable in your favor? Knowing the answers to these questions will give you a much better idea of how the current game will play out, and thus how much you’ll win or lose. Remember: past performance isn’t always an indicator of future results, especially when assessing something as unpredictable as sports betting.
Avoid Phony Bookies
It’s important to know that not all the bookies out there are created equal, and this goes double for those that promote themselves as being the best around. Just because a bookie has a good reputation doesn’t mean that you should automatically trust them, especially if their claims of having the best odds aren’t true. There are a lot of scammers out there that will try to trick you into betting on rigged odds or using fake names to get your money, so you’ll need to be on the lookout for these types of bookies.
Learn The Lingo
If you’re new to the world of sports betting, it can be quite difficult to know what many of the terms used in the industry mean. This is why you need to take the time to learn them, as understanding these terms will allow you to have a better sense of what’s going on around you. For example, when you hear the word “Totality”, you’ll know what this means: it’s the total number of points won by a team in a single game. Another important term to learn is “Over/Under”, which indicates how many points a team is allowed to score in a given game.
Use Free Bets
One of the biggest mistakes that new bettors make is believing that they have to spend money to enjoy the benefits of betting. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as most bookmakers will give you a free bet to get you started. Just make sure that you’re aware of the terms and conditions of these types of offers before you claim yours.
Free bets are great for getting you started, but they have their limits. For example, many bookmakers won’t allow you to place a bet on a game that’s already started, and many others will restrict the amount of money that you can bet on any one game. Keep this in mind if you decide to take advantage of free bets offered by bookmakers, as you’ll likely be risking your own money if you win or lose.
Raise Your Limits
Another important factor to consider if you want to maximize your earnings via sports betting is how much you want to risk. Most bookmakers have a minimum bet amount that you need to place before you can make withdrawals, as money deposited into your account prior to this minimum is considered “free” money, which the bookmakers don’t want to lose. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to limit yourself to these “free” bets; there are often better odds available for large payments, which you can win or lose. The best thing you can do for yourself is to call the bookmaker and ask them about these options, or look them up online and do some research on your own. Just keep in mind that risks must always be proportionate to the potential rewards, and in the world of sports betting, this usually means large wagers placed on high-energy games.
Use Betting Software
If you’re serious about betting on sports, it would be a wise investment to consider using the right software to assist you with your research and analysis. There are a variety of software programs available that can drastically improve your odds of winning, and knowing this can make a huge difference in your ability to turn a profit. Some of the software programs that are available can provide you with lines and odds for every game, week, or month, so you’ll never be stuck wondering where you can place your bets, as this information will be readily available at all times. In addition, some of these programs will even allow you to set up alerts to notify you when there’s a good chance of winning, so you don’t have to keep checking the odds in Sportsbooks all day long.
Don’t Forget The Law
One of the biggest mistakes that new bettors make is forgetting about the law. Even if you play by the rules and do everything correctly, there’s still a chance that you’ll be prosecuted by the government. It’s important to know the rules and the regulations that apply to you when betting, and this includes knowing whether or not you can place bets on sporting events, and how much you’re allowed to wager. If you’re not sure about something, it’s best to ask the bookmaker or the government, as they are the ones who will enforce the laws in relation to sports betting. Just make sure that you do everything above board and according to the rules and the law, as this is what is expected of you as a customer, and it will certainly help you in your quest for financial freedom.