Soccer odds can be found in many places but most often they will be found in tabloids and on sports websites. The problem is that most people don’t know how to read odds properly and as a result they put themselves in a position where they potentially lose money on bets. If you follow these simple and quick tips you will be able to read soccer odds and make better informed decisions about whether or not to bet on a game or an event.
Start Small
When you are first starting out it is recommended to bet small amounts. This is because it is easier for the books to allow you to lose X amount of money than it is to let you win Y amount of money. When you are deciding whether or not to bet on a game the size of your bet should directly correspond to how much you are willing to risk. If you are a newbie just looking for a place to place bets then it is advised to start with a $2 or $5 bet. You should then be able to work your way up to larger amounts as you gain experience.
Understand The Setup
When you are reading odds you will often come across phrases like “Draw +1, -2” or “+2, -2”. These phrases are used to indicate the amount of the overall handicap. For example, if you were to bet on a horse race and the first three horses had finished in a photo finish then the result would be a “+3, -3” overall handicap. In this case the “-3” indicates that you need to bet on the other horse to win. The “+3” indicates that you have a three-fold chance of winning when you place a bet on the other horse. If you are unfamiliar with handicaps then it can be difficult to know whether or not to bet on a particular horse.
Stay Away From Longer Terms
When you are looking for odds it’s important to stay away from any races or games that have longer odds than 12 seconds. There are lots of situations where 12 seconds can turn into 12 minutes or more. If you see that a certain race or game has odds that are running for longer than 12 minutes then it’s a good indication that the odds are fixed or that there is some sort of manipulation going on. It’s always better to avoid these types of situations and go for races or games with shorter odds. Of course, this doesn’t mean that all races with longer odds are bad bets but you should know the general rule before you begin placing bets.
Learn From Experts
There are tons of places online where you can find advice on reading odds and making smart wagers. One of the best places to learn is from experts. You can find free expert advice by going to www.bettingtips.com. Just type in your location and select English as your language. From there you will see an area where you can ask questions about betting and receive expert advice. This is a great place to learn because you can usually find answers to most any question you might have.
Don’t Forget The Basics
When you first begin reading odds it’s important to not forget the basics. One thing that can help is simply remembering to add and subtract. If you are reading odds for a soccer game then you will see phrases like “Arsenal to win +1” or “City to win +1.5”. When you are first learning to add and subtract it’s easy to forget to do this. You might see “+1” or “+1.5” and think that these are the winning odds for City or Arsenal. In actuality these might just be the odds for drawing (“0”) or picking up (“0.5”) a point. It’s important to bear this in mind so you don’t make the same mistake over and over again. When you first learn how to bet then it’s easy to think that all winning odds are good. This is far from true – if an odds maker is trying to get you to bet on a certain team then they are obviously trying to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. The best policy when first learning to read soccer odds is to assume that all winning odds are in fact bad and to only bet on games or events that you are certain of winning.
Use Common Sense
Last but not least we have common sense. Common sense will tell you that the longer the odds, the more your chances of winning. If you see a phrase like “Longest odds: X” or “Odds: X” then it usually means that the team or animal in question has enormous odds against it winning. This can be good or bad based on how you look at it. It can be good if you are specifically looking for a long shot to win but it can also be bad if you are expecting the opposite. You should use your common sense and know when to approach a bet and when to walk away. Common sense will also tell you that if an odds maker repeats a phrase or gives an example of the type of bet that is being offered then they are most likely trying to trick you. It is usually best to ignore what the odds are and focus on whether or not you think your team will win. The longer the odds, the more you need to bet to win.
These tips will help you read soccer odds and make better informed decisions about whether or not to bet on a game or an event. Just remember to keep things simple and don’t get too crazy. Just because a team or animal has long odds against it winning doesn’t mean that it’s a bad bet. There are lots of examples of long shots winning big events so don’t get too discouraged if a team or animal you like has long odds. Sometimes they are just that – long odds – but in other cases they are just really, really, good at sports!