Sports Betting 101 - How to bet on Sports
Below you will find articles on how to bet various sports as well as types of wagers available. Our sports betting 101 is a "how to" guide and will be updated ongoing. If you have any subjects that you would like to see covered simply email your request to service@docsports.com and we will do the research for you.
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Be sure to read our Sports Betting Terms Explained.
History of Sports Betting and the Point Spread
by Jeremy Martin - 5/30/2017
Ever since there have been sports in America, there have been people compelled to bet on the results. The founders of the United States were risk-takers by nature, hence the obvious attraction to gambling in all forms. Back then, people bet on makeshift horse races, cockfights and bare-knuckle brawls. Colonists from England had gambling in their blood since their fathers and grandfathers had been doing it for generations - not only in hopes of a profit but also as a form on leisure and entertainment. If there was a sport to be played, there was somebody somewhere who was willing to bet on it. Sports betting, it seems, was a natural part of the culture of the early Americans.
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How to Win Betting on Football by Expert NCAA and NFL Handicapper
by Jason Sharpe - 10/6/2016
This is my eighth season betting football professionally, and I hear the same thing every football season on how the betting public is a lot smarter than it was in the past and all the information out there nowadays means a much sharper, more accurate point spread with a lot less mistakes for the smart, sophisticated sports bettor to take advantage of.
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Sports Betting 101: Wagering Mistakes to Avoid
by George Monroy - 5/26/2015
Let's face it, as sports bettors we all have leaks in our system. Everyone gets frustrated over wagers that go the wrong way, and in response some of us begin to make choices that go against our own rules-like betting above our bankroll, doubling down at halftime, or even placing a random bet without handicapping a game.
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Sports Betting 101: How to Wager on Baseball
by George Monroy - 4/10/2015
Baseball betting can look complicated at first glance, particularly if you are new to sports betting. The lack of a traditional point spread can throw some bettors off. However, according to most experts, baseball may be the easiest sport to wager on. Starting pitching plays a huge role in handicapping a game, and certain pitchers will provide such a huge edge that bettors can go on long streaks without picking a loser. The 2015 MLB season just got underway, so let's go over a few tips for wagering on MLB baseball.
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Why You Should Use a Professional Sports Handicapper
by Dave Schwab - 2/9/2015
It's a great time of the year to wager on all the basketball action you can handle as the NBA rolls into its All-Star Break later this week and men's college basketball continues to gear up for the stretch run to the conference tournaments and the March Madness of this season's NCAA Tournament.
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Teasers Betting Much Different for Basketball Than Football
by George Monroy - 2/5/2015
Super Bowl XLIX ended with a dramatic goal-line interception, which saved the New England Patriots from suffering another last-second heartbreaker during the big game. The turnover also saved millions of teasers across the nation and scooped every combination a bettor could have wagered on: Seattle plus the points, New England plus the points and both totals lines all fell into the range of a standard six-point teaser.
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Lessons from Behind the Sportsbook Counter: Fade the Public
by Ivey Walters - 12/2/2014
Working as a ticket writer in a Las Vegas sportsbook, I have certainly learned many lessons that have helped guide my handicapping process. First of all, the general betting public always bets favorites and "overs". It is very rare to see bettors all pile on an underdog or an "under" in one particular game. This is especially true when there is one big game on the board like Thursday and Monday Night Football. As a handicapper, I capitalize on this by looking to pick my spots and take the underdog when public money is pouring in on the favorite.
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Sports Betting Tips: Using Apps and Technology to Improve Wagering Results
by George Monroy - 9/4/2014
Sports betting has come a long way from the days where a player would actually have to walk into a casino or talk to a bookie on a street corner to make a bet. Much of the glamour and dangerous element to the hobby has gone away thanks to technology and the rise of the Internet. Now we have databases full of information, sites that track trends and statistics, and updates that come straight to our mobile phones.
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NFL Key Numbers: How to Use the Strength of Three and Seven
by George Monroy - 9/4/2014
NFL key numbers are a simple yet powerful concept that most bettors tend to ignore. Football is a straightforward game that involves touchdowns and field goals as its primary methods of scoring points, and since bettors are in the business of predicting final scores, wouldn't it be wise to know what those final scores are during a professional football game?
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Sports Betting Bankroll Management Tips: Getting the Most out of your Money
by George Monroy - 9/1/2014
Bankroll management may not be the most interesting sports betting topic, but it is one of the most important. For bettors, sports betting is a skill, the same as playing poker or investing in the stock market, and the one tool that all bettors need-in the same way a roofer needs a hammer or a surgeon needs a scalpel-is money. A bettor can be the best handicapper in the entire world, but if he does not have money or manage his money correctly then he might as well change professions because he will never be in action.
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Sports Betting 101: the Power of Keeping Detailed Statistics
by George Monroy - 8/22/2014
Did you ever having the feeling that every time you bet on the Oakland Raiders or New England Patriots, or whatever team happens to be killing you at the moment, that you always lose? Wouldn't it be great if you had a data base on your laptop that instantly showed you how well you do when wagering on a certain team or certain spread?
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Tips for Betting the 2014 Football Season for Wagering Newbies or Novices
by George Monroy - 8/19/2014
Every year bettors around the world enter the football season with more resolutions than a smoker on New Year's Eve. This season we are going to be more disciplined, bet smarter, research lines and actually take a profit from wagering on football. However, many times those resolutions get thrown aside after a week or two and bettors fall into their old routines and habits.
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Sports Betting 101: Wagering on Moneylines Instead of Point Spreads
by George Monroy - 5/29/2014
Wagering on moneylines is often an overlooked and underutilized tool for bettors to make a profit on sports. How many times have you wagered on the favorite only to have them win but not cover the spread? If you have been betting on sports for any amount of time, that number is probably too big to count-a last-second free throw, a meaningless kickoff return, or even a ninth-inning pop fly that scores a run; these things can all ruin a spread during the final seconds of a game.
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Sports Betting 101: Lesser-Known Sports are Where Profits Lie
by George Monroy - 5/28/2014
By the time the participants of a recent UFC on Fox event made their way to the octagon, the underdog Matt Brown was receiving nearly +200 odds against his Brazilian foe, Erick Silva. Brown proceeded to blast through his talented opponent in a gutsy performance that catapulted him into title contention in one of the UFC's toughest divisions.
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Five Mistakes that Beginning Sports Bettors Often Make
by George Monroy - 5/7/2014
I have made every sports betting mistake in the book-doubling down on bad spreads during second half, wagering too much on a huge road favorite, falling in love with marquee teams like the Miami Heat and the New England Patriots-you name it, and I've done it.
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In-Game Betting: What is it and How to Use it During the NBA Playoffs
by George Monroy - 5/6/2014
Early in the second quarter of Saturday's Game 7 matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Conley grabbed a rebound, sprinted across the court, and dished off an easy assist to Marc Gasol, who was waiting on the other side of floor for an easy basket.
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Sports Betting 101: Understanding the Zig-Zag Theory When Wagering on the Playoffs
by George Monroy - 4/30/2014
The zig-zag theory is composed of a simple idea, bet the team that lost the last game. Sounds brilliant on paper, right? The losing team will probably come back strong the very next game and cover the spread. The theory itself came to prominence during the early 80s and worked wonders on bettor's bankrolls for quite some time. The general consensus over the last decade, however, has been that the theory is outdated and sportsbooks now adjust their lines because of it.
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Who is Steve Stevens of VIP Sports and CNBC Money Talks Show?
by Robert Ferringo - 4/2/2014
For the past decade, the movie "Two For The Money," the glossy but shallow 2005 flick with Matthew McConaughey and Al Pacino, has been the mainstream media's touchstone with the sports handicapping industry. The movie was a comically overdramatized portrayal of what sports handicapping is actually like.
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Comparing NFL and NCAA Football Betting
by George Monroy - 8/5/2013
With the return of football season in a few short weeks, bettors will have their plates full between wagering on the NFL and NCAA. With games on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday (that is a lot of football) bettors will have their handicapping stretched to the limit. While football on the collegiate level may look and feel awfully similar to football on the professional level, it is not-particularly for gamblers.
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How to Middle a Game in Sports Betting
by George Monroy - 8/2/2013
Middling a sporting event is one of those little tricks of the trade that most advanced and professional sports bettors use to maximize their profit margins. Sports betting, just like any other endeavor, has its share of secrets and expert plays that separate the experienced bettors from the beginners-and the art of middling a game is one of them. If you have ever noticed a line open at a certain number and then move drastically in either direction, then you experienced the first stages of a potential middle opportunity.
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How to Start Sports Betting: A Beginner's Guide
by George Monroy - 7/25/2013
So you want to start sports betting but you don't know how? If the thought of placing a little action on a game and raising the stakes is intriguing to you, then understanding how to get into sports betting is the next step. Contrary to what most people believe, wagering on sports is not a back-alley activity that involves bookies connected to the mob and interacting with unsavory individuals.
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Sports Betting FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
by George Monroy - 6/24/2013
If you are new to sports betting, placing a bet can be a daunting and intimidating process. How do you even begin to walk up to a sports book and wager on a team? How about doing it online? And actually trying to understand the lines and what the odds mean? Forget about it. You're better off trying to understand what Metta World Peace is Tweeting about these days.
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Sports Betting Tips: Three Reasons to Bet Underdogs
by George Monroy - 6/20/2013
In sports we are conditioned to root for the favorite. From an early age we are told that winning is everything and that losing is unacceptable. That is why in sports there are always bandwagon fans - when a team is winning, everybody loves them. That is also why the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and New England Patriots are three of the most popular teams in all of sports.
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Tips for Betting Baseball
by George Monroy - 6/13/2013
Wagering on Major League Baseball can be a difficult situation to figure out - there are so many variables to a baseball game that trying to pick a winner can be overwhelming at times. There are 162 games in a season, moneylines, runlines, starting pitchers, bullpens, and enough complicated stats to fill a library - where does a gambler even begin?
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How to Bet on Horse Racing: Tips and Advice
by George Monroy - 6/5/2013
Horse racing can be one of the most entertaining ways to sports bet. You pick a horse, place a bet, and watch them race. If you are a bettor that has not gotten caught up in the excitement of the Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes - the majors of horse racing - then you have not only missed out on three of the most exciting sporting events around but also the opportunity to take some money from the sportsbooks. In this article we will give you tips on how to bet on horse racing.
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Sports Betting 101: Basic Concepts
by George Monroy - 5/23/2013
If you are new to sports betting, opening up an online account and placing a bet can be a daunting task. Figuring out the numbers, odds, and types of bets can feel like a job that requires a dictionary just to get started. Moneylines, vigs, and teasers might as well be a foreign language to someone that has never heard of the terms. However, luckily for the new gambler, sports betting is not as complicated as it might seem (actually picking a winner is another story).
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How to Treat Your Sports Betting Like a Business
by George Monroy - 5/9/2013
Sports betting can be just as profitable as any other form of investing, and at the highest levels it should be run like a successful business. Gambling can be a fun and exciting form of entertainment. However, for the serious bettor, wagering on sports is a way to make money. A professional sports bettor is no different than a Wall Street trader or a real estate investor.
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Sports Betting Bankroll Money Management Tips
by George Monroy - 5/1/2013
Managing your bankroll may be one of the most important things a sports bettor can do. After all, if you do not have money, how can you bet in the first place? A sports bettor cannot stay in action if he does not have bankroll to support his bets. At the very basic level, money is the tool that a bettor uses to do his work in the same way a carpenter cannot build without a hammer and a nail or a painter cannot paint without a brush and a canvas.
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Sports Betting Tips Based on Stock Market Advice
by George Monroy - 4/15/2013
The stock market and sports betting may have much more in common than what initially meets the eye. Wagering on sporting events can be similar to other forms of investing as many of the same fundamental concepts are similar. The serious sports bettor will approach his craft with the same knowledge and work ethic that a Wall Street day-trader would. The stock market can be just as much of a gamble as wagering on sports can be. And sports betting, in turn, can be as much of a long-term investment as wagering on the stock market can be.
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Understanding How to Read MLB ATS Records Charts
by George Monroy - 4/12/2013
Major League Baseball is perhaps the most stats-driven game in the American sports landscape. Professional baseball was keeping track of, and using, advanced metrics before most other sports even knew of the concept. For gamblers, handicapping an MLB game can rely heavily on stats and advanced analysis. One of the most important factors for baseball betting, other than pitching, is having a strong knowledge a team's ATS records.
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Record Keeping: Thoughts and Tips on How to Keep Track of Your Wagers
by George Monroy - 3/20/2013
Sports betting can be a ridiculously exciting undertaking at times. The adrenaline rush of placing a bet could be enough to get a player hooked for life. And that is not even mentioning the highs and lows of the actual game itself and the sheer joy of winning a wager and cashing to your ticket. Sports betting can be the ultimate proving ground to testing your sports and gambling knowledge. There is nothing like putting your money where your mouth is and actually showing that you know what you are talking about. Sports betting, at times, can be the utmost fun.
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Sports Betting Tips: How to Best Deal With Losing Streaks
by George Monroy - 3/13/2013
Sports betting can a brutal undertaking. Every gambler who has ever placed a bet has, at one time or another, been on the wrong end of a beat beat or suck out. We've all been there. Whether it is a meaningless half-court shot that kills a spread or a last-second pick-six that destroys an "over" or "under," as gamblers we all know that sports betting can be painful at times.
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Understanding and Learning To Calculate Sports Betting Expected Value
by George Monroy - 2/15/2013
Expected value is a math term that sounds like something out of your worst high school algebra nightmare. It sounds like a concept most people thought they had escaped from years ago. However - even though the mathematically impaired might not want to hear this - it is also a sports betting concept that every gambler should know and deeply understand.
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Betting 101: How to Bet NHL Hockey With Tips and Advice
by George Monroy - 2/14/2013
One of the fundamental aspects of being a successful investor is to diversify your portfolio - to not put all of your eggs into one basket. The idea is to spread all of your investments around - just in case one of them tanks - so that your money is still protected by your other investments.
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NBA Key Numbers: What Do the Sportsbooks Think?
by George Monroy - 1/11/2013
Sports bettors have a plethora of knowledge and information at the tips of their fingers. The Internet has made accessing information and researching wagers easier and faster than ever before. The average sports bettor is far more educated and savvy than in years past. Nowadays, most bettors have a solid understanding of the nuances of wagering and how they impact games. However, one topic where knowledge and information still seems to be scarce is concerning NBA key numbers.
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Sports Betting 101: Explanation of Different Types of Wagers
by George Monroy - 1/8/2013
Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling in America. It provides not only entertainment value, but it also provides the ability for sharp bettors to consistently make money wagering on sporting events. One of the main reasons behind its popularity is that sports betting offers an edge that is rarely found in casino gaming - a sharp sports bettor can consistently make money, and that fact will continue to bring in new players and help the industry continue to grow.
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How to Wager on the UFC: A Bettors Guide
by George Monroy - 12/27/2012
The UFC is one of the fastest growing sports organizations in the world, and it has taken mixed martial arts from the backrooms and dark corners into the limelight with prominent ESPN coverage and free fights on network television. The UFC stuck a deal with Fox over a year ago, and it has since put on five pay-per-view-caliber shows on free TV. The deal will only bring more exposure to an already growing sport, as it helps build stars and delivers exciting matchups to fans starving for high-profile fights.
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Explaining Sports Betting Moneylines
by George Monroy - 12/21/2012
Moneylines may be as primordial to sports betting as the games themselves. In order to place a bet, gamblers need to quantify the talent disparity between teams. On a very basic level, even non-sports bettors know that you can't place an even-money bet on the Super Bowl Champions facing the worst team in the league - there has to be a give and take. In the sports betting world, we use the point spread or the moneyline to place an exact number on that difference in talent.
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Sports Betting Juice and Vig: How Different Prices Impact Bettors
by George J Monroy - 12/10/2012
The vig or juice - whatever you want to call it - is a sports bettor's worst enemy (other than losing wagers, of course). If you have ever placed a bet before, then you know exactly what the juice is. It's the built in edge that sportsbooks use in order to gain a profit on taking bets.
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Basic Strategy Teasers: Home and Away Win Rates
by George J Monroy - 11/29/2012
Basic strategy teasers are an increasingly popular bet that utilizes knowledge of NFL key numbers in order to move certain lines past the strongest key numbers of three and seven. Over the last 30 years, NFL games have been decided by exactly three or seven points 25 percent of the time. And being able to move a spread (using a six-point teaser) past those two numbers can provide excellent value to a wager.
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NFL Key Numbers Analysis and Betting Tips
by George J Monroy - 11/28/2012
NFL key numbers can be a sports bettor's best friend. NFL lines can often be as confusing as shopping at Ikea (it's like a maze in there) - and understanding those key numbers can, at times, point to the strongest side of a wager. So, let's take a minute, and refresh our NFL key numbers knowledge and see what lessons we can take away in order to get the best of the books.
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NFL Betting Profit from Basic Strategy Teasers
by George J Monroy - 11/19/2012
As sports bettors, we are always searching for a way to beat the spread. Some of us will spend hours on end researching lines and stats in order to make an informed decision, while others will simply rely on luck or superstition. Remember Paul, the sports betting octopus that went eight-for-eight at predicting winners during the 2010 World Cup (I do--I made a killing following his advice!)?
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Are Football Parlays a Sucker Bet?
by George J Monroy - 10/23/2012
Sports betting, for the serious gambler, often falls into the category of skill rather than luck. We study lines, look at scores, and make every possible effort to come up with the smartest betting decisions possible-and that is probably why many sports bettors stay away from parlays, teasers and random prop bets.
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NFL Confidence Pools: Strategy, Advice and Tips
by Aaron Smith - 9/5/2012
The popularity of the National Football League has led to the rise of all sorts of contests where fans can get involved. Fantasy football is still the most popular, but NFL confidence pools are quickly becoming another major player in the contest arena. Confidence pools tap into that fan interest and provide another NFL office pool type of game for fans to get even more involved in the sport.
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NFL Handicapping: Avoid Buying Points When Betting
by Jeremy Martin - 9/3/2012
We've all been there before. It is a couple hours before Monday Night Football. You got demolished on several of your larger wagers on NFL Sunday. You lost your biggest bet by a measly half point. The MNF matchup looks lopsided, and the favorite, your chosen side, is laying 13 points.
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Tips and Strategies for MLB Betting
by Dave Schwab - 4/4/2012
Major League Baseball kicks off its 2012 regular season this week. And while it may not garner the same level of betting action that the NFL and NBA does, it remains an extremely viable option to supplement your sports wagering endeavors.
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Sports Betting Odds and Lines Explained
by Doc's Sports - 2/28/2012
Are you new to the online gaming world? There's a big event that might draw your betting interest nearly every month of the year. Perhaps you are looking to put down some action on the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals. Perhaps one of the Grand Slam events for golf or tennis. Or any of numerous horse races. Or the Olympics! Maybe you just want to be well-versed in sports betting 101 to understand what your significant other, friends or family are talking about while watching sports. Here is everything you need to know with sports betting odds and lines explained.
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NHL Wagering Tips
by Dave Schwab - 10/13/2011
The 2011-12 NHL schedule kicked-off last Thursday night last and the 82-game march to the Stanley Cup playoffs is officially underway. While the majority of the action that the sportsbooks are taking in right now is concentrated on college football and the NFL, professional hockey is a very viable sport to generate a solid return on your investment. In this article we will help you with some NHL wagering tips to get you on your way.
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What Does Pick'em Mean in Sports Betting?
by Max Powers - 10/10/2011
Often times in sports betting you hear the word 'pick'em.' Most professional or regular gamblers immediately know what the means. But that is not always the case with novice bettors or someone making a first trip to Las Vegas that happens to wander into the sportsbook. The following will describe some key terms in gambling that will help you make an educated wager and avoid an uncomfortable look for the ticket taker. We will answer the question "what does pick'em mean in sports betting?".
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Key Numbers in Football Betting
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 9/22/2011
Football bettors need to be aware of key numbers just as much as they need to be aware of injuries and matchups. Key numbers indicate the margin of victory (or defeat) most common in the NFL. Key numbers in football betting can tell you a lot about what the oddsmakers are trying to do with a particular point spread and how impactful a line movement is.
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NFL Teaser Betting Advice
by Jeremy Martin - 9/5/2011
Many novice bettors have no idea what teasers even are. Others think they are sucker bets and stay away from them completely. Certain sharp bettors, however, use NFL teasers as a main force in their arsenal against the sportsbooks. I am firmly in that last group. In particular, I am a big fan of the two-team, six-point NFL teaser.
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NFL Handicapping Tips: Best Statistics to Use for Betting
by Dave Schwab - 8/24/2011
When it comes to handicapping the NFL, just about everyone uses some kind of system when making their picks. Whether they utilize some kind of sophisticated bank of computers that crunch the numbers or rely on basic observations and gut instinct, statistics will have to play some kind of role in the decision making process.
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MLB Handicapping: Tips and Advice on Betting Doubleheaders
by Robert Ferringo - 7/8/2011
It is not a stretch to say that no one in baseball likes doubleheaders. The players dislike putting forth that much effort in one day. Managers cringe at the thought of having to burn their bullpens. Umpires loathe having to sit out there for a double-dip, especially the guys that have to work the plate in one game and the field in another. The vendors and ballpark employees essentially pull a double-shift with little to nothing to show for it.
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Key Statistics for MLB Handicapping
by Dave Schwab - 6/1/2011
If you are a statistic junkie, than there is no better sport in the world to follow than Major League Baseball. Just about every conceivable aspect of the game is recorded in some kind of measurement and used to generate an endless amount of stats for the sport. If you are an MLB handicapper, delving into this mammoth pile of information in order to predict a matchup can be a daunting task unless you know which statistics carry the most weight in helping to predict the outcome of a game.
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Tips for MLB Runline Betting: Pick Your Spots
by Aaron Smith - 4/29/2011
The Major League Baseball season is unique in that it's far longer than any other sport. As a baseball bettor, you will definitely find that hot streaks as well as slumps are inevitable during the course of the season. The single biggest key to having a successful season is making sure you find value in the MLB odds at all times. Unlike NFL betting, there are occasionally some soft lines during the long and drawn out baseball season.
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Sports Betting Tips: Understanding Reverse Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 11/18/2010
Reverse bets are a type of bet you can make at most sportsbooks, but they aren't a particularly popular bet, and they don't even show up on the radar of most bettors. A large part of the reason for that is that the bets can be confusing if you don't understand them. Once you figure out what they are, though, they actually make a lot of sense.
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Sports Betting Money Management: The Hidden Truth - 90% of Gamblers Abuse this Segment of Sports Betting
by Doc - 9/16/2010
My idea of alcohol abuse is opening a nice, cold beer and letting it go warm. My idea of a problem gambler is someone who doesn't know how to properly manage their money and someone who bets more than their bankroll actually allows.
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NFL Betting Tips: Control Your Excitement
by Trevor Whenham - 9/9/2010
The NFL season starts tonight. Finally. This is obviously a wildly exciting time - the best time of year for many bettors. It can be a very dangerous, costly time, though, if you aren't ready for it. Many times I have heard stories about guys who get too eager when the season starts and blow all of their betting bankroll before a single team has had a bye week. That's no good.
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Football Betting: Keys to Money Management for Football Season
by Trevor Whenham - 9/8/2010
You've probably read articles about bankroll and money management. Heck, if you have been coming to this site for a while then you have probably read a bankroll management article by me already. This is one of those subjects that you can never read too much about. Money management is easily and unquestionably the single most important aspect of sports betting.
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Football Betting Advice: Five Stats to Follow
by Trevor Whenham - 8/31/2010
Next to baseball, football is probably the sport that best lends itself to statistical analysis to get an understanding of what a team is really capable of. Every year we see more and more useful stats as well as people spend more time studying the game and looking for ways to make it make sense. A lot of casual sports bettors probably don't use as many stats in their handicapping as they should, and when they do they probably don't branch out beyond the basic stats that are listed in the newspaper. That's a mistake.
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Sports Betting as an Investment
by Robert Ferringo - 7/27/2010
I still get a kick out of people's reaction when I tell them what I do for a living. When I say that I'm a professional sports handicapper the first reaction is either surprise, expressed by raised eyebrows and a lean back, or confusion, expressed by a furrowed brow and pursed lips.
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Successful Sports Bettors Look for Every Edge
by Josh Nagel - 6/7/2010
There's an old saying that likely was coined by someone who had a gambling problem or, at best, probably lived by it far too often. "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win." This motto is probably used more frequently by blackjack players that have a $400 bankroll and are betting $100 per hand than by seasoned sports bettors who know the value of money management.
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Sports Betting Tips: Manage Expectations
by Josh Nagel - 5/31/2010
Your perspective on expectations has a significant influence on your long-term success or failure in most endeavors. Sports betting is no different; your expectations should play a big role in how you perceive your results, and you should be realistic with yourself about how much time and effort you are putting into it.
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Betting on MLB Overnight Lines
by Aaron Smith - 5/19/2010
Becoming a successful sports bettor is largely about doing your homework and knowing every key factor that could influence the wager you are making. There is always an edge to be gained, and if you wish to stay ahead of the pack; you need to capitalize on every opportunity given to you. The opportunity to bet on overnight lines from some of the best sportsbooks in the industry is crucial to betting on every sport, but it is particularly useful when betting on baseball.
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WNBA Betting Tutorial
by Trevor Whenham - 5/19/2010
It's safe to say that the WNBA isn't the most popular sports league in the country. In fact, I'm sure that if you were to ask people on the street th large majority of them would have no idea when the season ran, and they wouldn't care either. It may not be the most exciting or riveting league in the world, but it can be useful for bettors. In fact, there are several bettors out there who claim that it is their favorite sport to bet on. Here's a look at six reasons why you might want to reconsider the decision to pretend that the WNBA doesn't exist:
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Grand Salami in NHL Betting - How to Bet the Grand Salami
by Alan Matthews - 4/24/2010
Experienced bettors know what a Grand Salami wager is, but you would be surprised how many new bettors email us at Doc's saying that have come across that term in whatever sport and don't know what it means. It's very simple, and for the purposes of this article we will stick with NHL betting since we are in the best time of year for hockey, the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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How to Bet on Soccer - A Tutorial
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/24/2010
Soccer is the most popular game in the world, but in terms of betting it often takes a backseat to the more mainstream sports in this country like football and basketball. This is for a number of reasons. The most important reason that you don't hear much discussion about soccer lines is that the sport is just not that popular in this country. The MLS rivals the WNBA when it comes to television ratings and media coverage.
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Betting Against 'Squares' A Great Handicapping Strategy
by Richard Anthony - 2/22/2010
Many Web sites will tell you what the general consensus is betting. I'm a big believer of going against the public, often referred to as 'squares' in this industry, whenever possible. You are not going to win all the time, but in the long run you will win. Sometimes gambling can be easy: find the team the public is loading up on and simply bet the other team. If I had to guess I would say more than 90 percent of gamblers do not come out on top in the long run.
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Allen Eastman's Famous "411 System" for Betting the NFL
by Doc's Sports - 2/15/2010
Several years ago a professional gambler finally perfected what he believed to be an all-encompassing NFL football betting system: The "411 System". This NFL betting system took into account a range of NFL variables like coaching, quarterback play, defense, and even weather. There was a point value assigned to each variable and teams were compared based on their scores according to the system list.
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Different Ways to Bet on Hockey
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 2/11/2010
Now that football season is over some bettors are beginning to take a second look at the so-called fourth professional sport in this country, the National Hockey League. If trying to catch up on the 60-some games each NHL team has already played seems hard then understanding the different ways to bet on the games may seem overwhelming. Therefore, here is a quick crash course on the different ways to bet on professional hockey.
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Allen Eastman's Famous "411 System" for Betting the NFL
by Doc's Sports - 2/10/2010
Several years ago a professional gambler finally perfected what he believed to be an all-encompassing NFL football betting system: The "411 System". This NFL betting system took into account a range of NFL variables like coaching, quarterback play, defense, and even weather. There was a point value assigned to each variable and teams were compared based on their scores according to the system list.
Read more about Best NFL Betting System.
Teaser Gambling - a "How To"
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/21/2010
It used to take major action on one side of a game to move a line. Now the power to move a line is in the hands of the bettor thanks to the tremendously popular teaser bets. Teaser gambling allows the bettor to move the line a set amount of points in his favor when taking two or more teams.
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The Best Way to Play 6-Point Teasers
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/19/2010
A 6-point teaser in football is when a bettor takes two teams like a parlay, but gets to move both lines six points in their favor. For example, rather than taking the Bears at -10 and the Raiders at +3 a bettor can tease the two in a 6-point teaser and get the Bears at -4 and the Raiders at +9. Unlike a parlay the payout would not be $100 to win $260 but rather $110 to win $100 in most cases.
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How to Make a Sports Bet
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 1/14/2010
There are countless options to choose from when it comes time to make a sports bet but before you can even start breaking down different teams and point spreads first you have to choose how you plan on betting. The following guide for how to make a sports bet is intended for novices.
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Teaser Betting Rules
by Trevor Whenham - 12/31/2009
Teasers aren't the first tool that most serious bettors look at to make a profit. In the right situations, though, they can be both profitable and a lot of fun. One reason why bettors don't always embrace them is the confusion over teaser betting rules.
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Times When NFL Parlays Might Be Worthwhile Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2009
Parlays get a lot of discussion when it comes to betting on sports in general and the NFL in particular. Parlays - bets that require wins in more than one game at a time - are particularly attractive to the betting public because they offer big payoffs when a bettor wins them. To bettors who aren't particularly sophisticated they don't seem very hard to win, either.
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What are Wong Teasers - Basic Strategy Teasers?
by Trevor Whenham - 12/11/2009
It seems like the things that people like to talk about in the sports betting world are cyclical. There are certain concepts that I hear about for a while, then don't see anything about them for some time, and then all of a sudden it seems like people are talking about it again. One such concept is the Wong Teaser.
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Different Ways to Bet on Hockey
by Trevor Whenham - 10/10/2009
The hockey season is underway. Betting on hockey is an under-appreciated way to invest your sports betting dollars. The sport doesn't get nearly the attention that others get. That means that it doesn't always get the same attention from oddsmakers as well. Opportunities for profit definitely exist in the league if you know where to look for them.
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In-Game Betting For Football Great Value
by Trevor Whenham - 9/16/2009
In-game betting, specifically betting on ongoing games at halftime or the ends of quarters, is a potent tool in the arsenal of many basketball bettors. For whatever reason, though, the bets don't seem to be as widely embraced by football bettors. In certain circumstances that can be a real mistake.
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How to Run an NFL Survivor Pool
by Matt Severance - 8/26/2009
If you have been charged with or have the initiative to set up an NFL survivor pool, I'm here to give you a few pointers if it's your first time. You may remember my byline from a series of weekly 2008 survivor pool articles here on Doc's - and I will be writing those again this year. Hopefully I made a few of you a bit of money.
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Exclusive Second Half Football Picks Service = More Profit Potential
by Doc's Sports - 8/12/2009
I have made a tremendous amount of money betting the second half of college football games over the years and now with today's technology I can help you. Does this sound familiar? It's Saturday morning, the day you have been waiting for all week. The adrenaline is following and you are set to watch football all day long.
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Understanding Money Lines
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 8/3/2009
Unlike the point spread or an over/under, when you bet on the money line, you are betting on one side to simply win. Points mean nothing just the final result. As confusing as point spreads can be for first-time bettors, understanding money lines often requires patience and a calculator even for more seasoned sports bettors.
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Sports Betting for Dummies
by Victor Ryan - 07/13/2009
Sports wagering has boomed with the advent of the Internet, as easily evidenced by the hundreds of Web sites willing and able to take action. If you're looking to get in on this growing past time, it pays (literally) to know what you're doing. Therefore we bring you this basic betting primer, a "Sports Betting for Dummies."
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by Dave Busk - 05/06/2009
Many articles have been written over the years about being a professional gambler. In this article, however, I will touch on some of my views on what it takes to make a living betting on sports.
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Running a March Madness Pool
by Matt Severance - 03/14/2009
It's that time of year, where your NCAA Tournament office pool turns everyone that fills out a bracket into a fledgling college basketball expert. So we're here at Doc's Sports to give you a "March Madness Pool for Dummies," so to speak. All you need to know about running a March Madness pool - and hopefully succeed in winning it.
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NBA Teasers: Stay Far Away
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 12/08/2008
Compared to scoring in football, points in the NBA light up the scoreboard at a much-higher pace. Teams routinely combine to score much more than 200 points in games while NFL totals generally hover around the lower forties. But oddly enough, the books in Vegas seem to value points more in pro basketball when it comes to NBA teasers.
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Sports Betting Tutorial
by Spencer Patton - 12/02/2008
Sports betting has evolved a long way since the days of shady bars, smoky casino rooms, and broken kneecaps. Sports betting is easy, relatively straight forward, and useful as much for personal knowledge (being able to tell your friends what the spreads are on games they are watching) as it is for personal investment, if you know what you are doing.
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Understanding Sports Odds
by Spencer Patton - 11/21/2008
Remember when we all thought "when are we ever going to use this math" while we were in school? Well, here's one of those rewarding chances to do some simple math, yet have it pay you in real dollars. Understanding sports odds is the first essential step in making an informed sports wager.
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Football Wagering Strategies
by Spencer Patton - 11/20/2008
It's always smart to have a successful strategy or plan for yourself when starting to bet on sports. Before you can formulate your plan, however, you have to decide on what types of betting strategies you want to use. Because football is where a great number of bettors get their start, I will cover some basic yet essential football wagering strategies that have withstood the test of time.
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Sports Book Rules - Las Vegas Sports Betting Rules
by Doc's Sports
When unforeseen events occur such as weather, power outages, or any other unanticipated event once the game has started, many people wonder how that will affect the wager. If an event has not started, all wagers should have no action and be refunded. But if the event has started and is interrupted and not completed it gets a little more complicated. The following will examine the special rules for each sport and give you a better idea of what to expect should the event not be completed on the same night.
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Sports Betting Money Management
by Trevor Whenham - 09/18/2008
If you are at all serious about sports betting then you know that money management is the key to long-term success. Or if you don't know that first hand then at least you have heard it from a hundred different places. I'm obviously not going to disagree with that bit of wisdom - it doesn't matter how many winners you can pick if you go broke doing it. The important point I do want to make, though, is that there isn't just one proper way to manage your money. I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject, but I have spent lots of time thinking and reading about it over the years. For what it's worth, here are five points that I believe to be crucial to any successful approach to sports betting money management:
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Football Betting: Alternate Lines
by Trevor Whenham - 09/18/2008
Yes, football bettors, there is a world out there beyond the point spread, money line and totals. There are more different ways to bet on the NFL these days than there are teams in the league. One of the more interesting ways, if not always the most useful, is the alternate line. Oddsmakers and sportsbooks will often offer several different lines on a game besides the normal one. In some the favorite is favored by larger spreads, while in others they face a smaller spread. Typically they are available from at least some books in both a moderately adjusted and extremely adjusted form, and usually in both directions.
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Football Quarter and Halves Betting
by Trevor Whenham - 09/18/2008
For the large majority of sports bettors betting on football starts and ends with point spreads, the money line, and totals. There are so many more options out there, though, and sometimes those options are a better way to pursue profit if used carefully and appropriately. Two of those options that are filled with potential are half and quarter bets. They get a small fraction of the action that the more popular bets do, but in some cases they make much more sense.
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