Most people who enjoy sports betting don’t do it for monetary gain. They do it because they enjoy the ability to control the outcome of a game.
While there are legitimate ways to make money from sports betting, most people who engage in this activity do so for fun. This article will tell you exactly how much money you can expect to win on sports betting throughout the year. We’ll cover all the bases from simple bets on regular season games to more complex propositions that involve picking the winner of an NBA playoff game.
Best Time to Place a Sports Betting Bet
The best time to place a sports betting bet is when there’s plenty of action involved. If you want to maximize your odds of winning money, then it’s best to bet on sporting events that are highly anticipated or have lots of betting interest surrounding them. This is true whether you’re placing a bet on the Super Bowl or the NBA All-Star Game.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a guaranteed payday, then try waiting until the last minute to make your bet. You can expect to win less money, but it’s still possible you’ll hit a winning streak and come away with a nice profit.
Types of Sports Bets
There are four basic types of sports betting: over/under, parlays, spreads, and totals. We’ll cover each of these betting types in detail below.
Over/Under
An over/under bet is when you predict the total number of points that will be scored by both teams. If you pick the under, then you win if the total amount of points is between the numbers you selected. If you think the total will be above the number you chose, then you lose. It’s quite simple — if you think the total will be under 21, you’ll need to choose an under (-) bet; if you think it will be over 21, then you’ll need to pick an over (+) bet.
Below is a quick example of how much money you can expect to win or lose on an over/under bet. We’ve used some of the sportsbooks that we recommend below, but you can use any top-rated sportsbook in the industry.
- NBA Finals over/under 16.5
- College Football National Championship over/under 43
- Soccer World Cup final over/under 33
- NHRA Drag Racing Championship over/under 28
- Indianapolis 500 over/under 27
Parlays
A parlay is when you make a series of bets on several sporting events that will all come together on one date. For example, you can make a bet on the first three games of the week (College Football, NHL, and NBA) and then the fourth game of the week will be the NFL Super Bowl. Your NCAA Football picks will all come in at the right time, and you’ll be looking at a multi-million dollar paycheck.
Spreads
A spread is when you bet on the results of a game or competition. For example, if you think the starting line will be Miami +3, you’ll need to bet on the Heat to win by more than three points. If you think the line will be Miami -3, then you’ll need to lay bets on the Heat to lose by more than three points.
Totals
Totals are when you bet on the final score of a game. If you think the Patriots will beat the Chiefs by more than 21 points, then you’ll need to lay a total bet on New England to win (all of New England’s games). If you think the total will be below 21 points, then you’ll need to put down a total bet on Kansas City to win.
While it might seem like there are a lot of variables surrounding sports betting, there really are just a few tricks of the trade that help you predict the outcome of a game.
Watching Game Film
One of the best ways to make the most out of sports betting is by studying game film. By watching game film, you’ll learn a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of each team. You can learn a lot from studying the opposition’s tendencies — did they always struggle with turnovers or was it just one game? Did they struggle in close games or was it always apparent that they would lose?
By looking at game film, you’ll be able to tell how each team performs under pressure — are they aggressive or passive? Do they have a tendency to take bad penalties or make crucial mistakes?
Game film, along with extensive research, is very important when it comes to sports betting. The information you learn from studying game film can help you make the right choices when betting on games. If you want to be able to predict the outcome of a game, then you need to be sure you’re making the right selections. These films can show you everything you need to know about the teams you’re betting on.
The Value of Experience
With any new hobby or pastime, there’s always the risk of losing money. It’s important to take into consideration how much money you’ve already lost and how much more you need to lose before you start winning. If you want to be able to predict the outcome of a sporting event, then you’re bound to lose some money along the way. However, experience can only take you so far — at some point, you’ll need to learn from your mistakes.
The key to turning a profit on sports betting is by becoming more experienced. By continually placing small bets and learning from them, you’ll be able to minimize the risks and maximize the chances of winning. Even the best professionals in the world lose money sometimes — it’s just a matter of how often this occurs and how much they lose. When you reach this point in your betting career, you’ll know exactly what to do. You’ll have mastered the art of picking the right game, making the right choice concerning parlays and totals, and being aware of the essential factors that influence the outcome of a game.