You’ve probably heard of the expression ‘you can’t beat the spread’. The saying refers to the odds that usually work in your favor when betting on sports. While it’s true that you can’t always beat the bookmakers’ odds, you can often find a way to beat the spread. So how can you do that? Let’s examine the ways you can exploit the bookies’ odds and produce winning sports betting tips!
Look For Trends
We’ve all seen the headlines: ‘Experts Predict Huge Market Jump!’, or ‘Investors Bet On The Possibility Of A Recession In 2021′. When the economy turns, so does the stock market. While this is not always the case, it’s often quite accurate. The key to beating the spread is by keeping an eye on the prevailing trends and using that information to our advantage.
For example, if a lot of the professional sports bettors are backing Los Angeles Angels in the American League Championship Series, but the Las Vegas bookmakers have the the Chicago Cubs as the favorites, that’s an indication that the public is starting to feel less confident about the Angels’ prospects of winning the World Series.
Check The Odds
You can’t beat the spread without first knowing exactly how much you’ll have to win or lose. The problem is that people often don’t check the odds before they place their bets, which leaves them vulnerable to getting hit with an ‘insurance’ bet. That’s when the bookies take your money and add it to the pot. When that happens, you’re instantly paying out more than you would have if you had simply backed your initial pick. So before you place your next wager, make sure you examine the odds and compare them to the spread.
Consider All The Info
The odds are usually the last thing that a sports bettor considers, but it’s actually the first. Consider all the information available to you before making your pick. The news articles that discuss the trends and which teams are likely to rise and fall are important to read. Similarly, the performance of famous players is important to examine. Just because a pitcher had a great year for his team doesn’t mean that you have to bet on him to continue his success.
Pay Attention To Team History
Some bets are just harder to beat than others. Take the NBA for example. It’s common knowledge that the Warriors are a really good team, and anyone who’s followed the sport for any length of time knows that they’re invincible at home. So if you’re confident that they’re going to win, it’s hard not to back them. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers are the antithesis of the Golden State Warriors. Even though they’re currently leading the league in wins, they’ve never been able to keep it up for long. If you’re backing the Lakers, you’re essentially putting money on a bet that’s hard to win.
History does have its place in sports, though. Just because the Golden State Warriors have never lost a lot of games in a row does not mean that they’re not going to fall this year. Consider the underdogs. They may not have had much of a history of winning, but that doesn’t mean that this year is going to be their shining moment. So by backing them, you’re essentially taking a risk that the team you’re backing is going to lose, but also taking the chance that they’re going to win.
Look At The Trends In Relation To The Past
You wouldn’t play the stock market based on the latest news stories, would you? The same concept applies when betting on sports. What you want to do is look at the trends and compare them to the past. So if you’ve been watching the sport for some time now and see that the favorites are always outperforming the spread, you should trust that trend and place a wager accordingly.
Understand The Basics
Backing a team that you know is going to win is easy. You’re essentially just betting on the obvious. If you’re picking the Milwaukee Brewers to make the playoffs because they’re currently in first place and you know that they’re not going to let that slip, then you have the makings of a good betting pick. The problem is that sometimes small-ball teams, underdogs, and even the cream of the crop can lose. We’re not talking about upset picks here; we’re talking about teams that you know are going to win, but the odds say otherwise. That’s when you get hit with the insurance bet. You’re better off avoiding that altogether by not playing against the odds. Instead, you can find a way to win by betting on the underdogs or against the spread.
Keep An Eye On The Prize
There’s always something at stake when you’re betting on sports. What is it that you’re trying to accomplish? Do you want to make money? Do you want to score some bragging rights? In some cases, it’s pretty simple. You want to bet on the team that you support and know is going to win. Even when you win, though, you can’t always guarantee that you’re going to get your money back. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on the prize.
Consider All The Events
The events that take place between the lines of a sports game are just as important, if not more important, than the final score. Sometimes, a game can be tied at the end, and only one or two events separate the teams. In those cases, you’re going to need a good reason to pick one team over another. For example, did a player on one of the teams commit a crime during the season that’s going to get him banned? Or did one of the coaches give a motivational speech that left the crowd in awe? Or was one of the teams simply better organized and executed their plays better than the other? Whatever the reason, consider all the events that can affect the outcome of a game and use that information to make the right pick. That way, you can’t beat the spread.