The meaning of under 4.5 in betting is the same as in life: it is below the set score that you are expected to finish in a set time. The key difference though, is that in betting, you are expected to score below a certain mark, while in life, you are expected to live above a certain mark. This is to encourage people to have a go at the game, rather than just sit back and let the random factors of life decide their ultimate score.
The concept of under 4.5 is used in place of over/under in many sports, as an alternative to having two different scoring systems for one game (like in American football). It also makes a return in tennis, where it was originally derived, as a way of keeping score when a set isn’t finished yet. The final set can still end above/below 4.5, so that the match score is tied. This allows for some additional excitement, as there is the possibility of a comeback.
The Math Makes Sense
You may be wondering why 4.5 is the chosen number, rather than some other number. After all, 4.51 is mathematically possible (if you were to add 0.5 to every score of the last match). The answer is that 4.51 is still below the average score, therefore it is considered a losing score. If you want to keep score within reasonable limits, it is best to stick with 4.5 as the cutoff, rather than having numbers this close to each other.
Getting To Know Your Numbers
In many sports, the final score doesn’t always tell the whole story. You should always try to understand the context of a game, rather than just looking at the numbers. This may require some extra work at the start of the game, but it is worth it in the end.
If you want to become a better prognosticator, it is important to get to know your numbers. What are the current trends? How many games does my opponent have in hand, versus how many does my team have? Those are just a few examples of questions you should ask yourself, before getting into a competition. Having all the relevant stats in front of you, will give you a clear picture of the game, rather than having to rely on pure luck to decide your fate. The numbers don’t lie. They will only tell you so much. But by doing some research, you will be able to understand much more.
Getting to know your numbers also extends to how you handle situations. For example, if you are on the blower with a friend who is questioning why their team lost when the final score says they should have won, you can give them the facts. But rather than just telling them what they want to hear, you can also add how you actually felt about the game, as well as offer them some insights on how they can improve. Numbers can be useful tools, but only if you know how to properly utilize them.
Use The Numbers To Your Advantage
Once you have gotten to know your numbers, you can start using them to your advantage. For example, knowing that your opponent has a very high batting average, will make you go for the fences, trying for massive hits, rather than playing it safe and sticking to the basics. You want to score as many runs as you can, rather than protect a small lead, because once the game is finished, the only score that will matter is the one at the end.
In many sports, there is a big difference between the way the game is officiated, versus how it is played out on the field. This is certainly the case in tennis, where the line judges have a huge impact on how the game is played out. A game can be very different to what the score would indicate. For example, there is a lot of strategy involved in the game of tennis. You can’t simply rely on your serve to win you matches. It is all about keeping your opponent off-balance, and using all the resources at your disposal, including the element of surprise, to win.
Knowing the differences between rules and reality can be very instructive when using stats to make your predictions. For example, let’s say you feel your opponent is highly unpredictable, and often does the unexpected. This makes you believe, due to the large amounts of variability in their past performances, they will be much tougher to game plan for, than your friend, who you believe to be the most likely winner of the game. In order to make the right selection, you need to account for the difference between what you know to be the case, versus what is actually being played out on the court. You can give yourself a slight edge, by taking the game’s dynamics into consideration. This is much more difficult to do, if you don’t have all the relevant stats in front of you. But by putting in the extra work, you will be able to gain a substantial amount of insight, and make the right pick, without too much difficulty. Numbers can be very useful tools in this aspect of prognostication, as long as you know how to properly utilize them.
Why Do You Play The Match Out To The Finish?
Once the game has reached its final stages, why does the winner walk away, with a smile on their face, and the loser look on, with a sense of bitter disappointment? This is where being an ‘odds-maker’, rather than just a ‘bet-taker’ can be very beneficial. Sure, you could walk away with a smile, knowing you were right, and your mate was wrong. But you can also end up with egg on your face, if you don’t know what you are doing (and most likely, your opponent will be the one, laughing, walking away with a smile, after you’ve finished).
In order to avoid this scenario, it is best to play the match out to the finish, rather than leaving at any point, with a feeling of incompleteness. There is always the possibility of a sudden collapse, that could end the game in an instant. But if you’ve stayed in the game, and seen it to its end, you will have a much better chance of walking away, without any regrets. Sure, you could call it a draw, rather than a win, for your opponent. But the fact is that you and your team fought for a win, rather than just taking the easy way out. This shows much more respect, rather than running away, without even trying (even if you did manage to scrape a win, you would still feel a sense of loss, rather than pride, if the game hadn’t been played to its full extent).
Knowing when to call it quits is a critical part of being a successful prognosticator. Sure, you could try to be clever, and see how far you can push, before walking away. But in most cases, this is a poor strategy, as playing the match, until the last ball is hit, is usually, the best way to go. Sure, it can be exhilarating to try and see how far you can get, before calling it quits. But if you play the match out to its end, you will have much more satisfaction, rather than regret, if things turn out badly. This is because you did everything you could, rather than leaving something to chance. Of course, this also means, you will have to be satisfied with a loss, rather than a win, as you had no control over the outcome of the game (at least not outside of your own, unique talents, which you have to admit, were not enough in some cases).
In the end, it is all about winning, and losing, but if you want to make the right pick, rather than just betting on the outcome, it is better to look at things from a more detailed, statistical perspective. Sure, this could mean, rather than just betting on your intuition, you will have to do some research. But this is a price you have to be willing to pay, in order to make the right choice, rather than settle for mediocrity, by simply following the crowd.