Spread betting is one of the more popular types of online betting. The basic idea behind spread betting is that you believe one or more of the sporting events (e.g. football, soccer, ice hockey, etc.) will produce one outcome, while the bookmaker’s spread (i.e. the amount of money that they are willing to risk on each outcome) represents the expected other outcome. For example, if you believe that the football score will be close, you can go all-in on the underdogs (i.e. select teams that you think are bound to lose) and then enjoy a fairly successful gambling session.
If you’re new to spread betting, you might wonder how to make sure that you’ve chosen the right odds. After all, you don’t want to risk losing your entire bankroll on one or two bad bets! Thankfully, there are several easy-to-follow tips that can help you confidently select your spread odds.
Understand The Basics
Before you start trying to pick your spread, it’s essential to know the theoretical underpinnings of this rather unique type of wagering. Fortunately, this type of knowledge isn’t difficult to acquire. You can read all about the ins and outs of spread betting in this helpful guide from Square Market.
If you’ve decided that spread betting is right for you, then it’s time to start thinking about how to select the right odds. Luckily, there are several good-quality online resources that can help.
Watch The Latest Scores
One of the simplest and most effective tips for choosing the right spread is to simply look at the latest scores. If you’re new to betting, you might not know which games to focus your attention on. After all, you don’t want to risk picking the wrong sport or the wrong day to start betting! Fortunately, watching the scores and getting familiar with the most recent games is a great place to start. You can use tools such as Google Trends to easily find the top-performing games and gain an understanding of which sports are currently most popular.
For example, using Google Trends you can see that the searches for the following games are currently at an all-time high:
- Australian Football
- England Football
- NBA Basketball
- NFL Football
- NRL Rugby League
- South Africa Cricket
- Tennis
- Ukraine Rugby
From this you can see that there’s a lot of interest in Australian Football, English football, and American football at the moment. If you’re new to betting, you might want to start with these three sports because they’re the most popular ones.
Pick The Right Sport
Another key tip to consider when picking your spread is to pick a sport that you understand. For example, if you’re new to betting, it might be a good idea to start with horse racing because you understand how the game works and you’re used to dealing with the outcomes of horse races. If you’re more of an enthusiast, you might want to try your hand at Formula 1 because you get involved in the action more closely.
You don’t want to risk picking a sport that you don’t understand just to have the opportunity to wager on games. Additionally, make sure that the sport you’ve chosen is popular within the UK and has a good level of liquidity. For example, if you’re in New York, you might want to consider trying your hand at American football because the sport is so popular over here. However, if you’re in Newcastle, it might be best to stick with horse racing since there are more people interested in this sport than American football.
Use An Expert
One of the best ways to make sure that your spread selection is correct is to use an expert. An expert is someone who has a lot of experience in gambling or sports and is able to give you unbiased and expert advice on your chosen sport. An expert can help you identify which teams are likely to win and which ones are bound to lose based on relevant historical data.
If you happen to be lucky enough to find an expert in your area who is also a bookmaker, you can get the best of both worlds and take advantage of their knowledge while also betting on the games.
Check The Odds
You might also want to consider checking the odds before you start placing your bets. If you’re new to betting, you might not know how much you should be paying for each outcome. You can use online resources to easily find the odds for the different outcomes in the game you’ve selected. Additionally, make sure that the odds are available within your country of residence. This way, you don’t have to worry about being denied service due to legal reasons because the bookmaker is based overseas.
For example, if you’re in the UK and the odds of England winning are available, but not in Newcastle, then you might want to take the opportunity to try your hand at gambling since you’ll be able to get your money back if England doesn’t win. Additionally, if you’ve watched the scores and picked a sport that’s currently popular within the UK, then it might be a good idea to start with a manageable stake since you’re more likely to win back your initial investment.
Watch For Suspicious Activity
Last but not least, it’s important to be aware of any suspicious activity. Just like in real life, there are people out there who want to take advantage of honest, random people who are just trying to have some fun. You can’t be too careful when it comes to spotting this kind of behavior, so be on the lookout for anything that doesn’t look natural. For example, if you noticed that a certain user is placing large bets on single events (e.g. an FFA Cup match between Perth Glory and Darwin Uta) then it might be a good idea to question why they’re placing these big bets on one game when they normally bet on multiple games. Additionally, if this user is from overseas (e.g. Thailand) then you might want to be extra careful because there’s a chance that they’re trying to scam you.