Sports Betting 101 - How to bet on Sports

Horse Racing Betting Mistakes to Avoid
by Doug Upstone - 6/2/2020

Let’s not kid ourselves. Horse racing is a tough nut to crack. That is why this writer suggests the first thing you need to do is have fun and make sure you can suffer the setbacks because they are a big part of betting this sport. With that stated, that’s not to say you cannot win; you just need realistic expectations and a bankroll that can ride out the ups and downs.

Why Is Sports Betting So Hard? Expert Weighs In
by Chris Vasile - 3/6/2020

When you think of sports betting, the first place that comes to mind should be Las Vegas - the home and mecca of the sports betting industry. There is a saying that is synonymous with Sin City, and that saying is Vegas didn't build itself. The meaning of that saying is not literal in context, but more so a hyperbole of how Vegas continues to turn a profit day after day, month after month, and year after year.

Use the Sportsbooks' NFL Season Win Totals Numbers Against Them
by Robert Ferringo - 9/4/2019

Every year Las Vegas and offshore sportsbooks release NFL season win total over/under numbers for each team. These initial numbers usually come out in April, they get tweaked after the draft and during the summer, and then solidify in once the preseason games begin.

Sports Betting Trends: Do Past Results Affect Future Outcomes?
by Chris Vasile - 7/30/2019

Whether you are new to the sports betting industry or have been in the game long enough to know a good spot from a bad spot, we've all, at one time or another, fallen victim to falling in love with the wrong betting trends. Betting trends are essentially a devil in disguise because if you look hard enough and skew the numbers in the favor of the team you want to bet on, you will be sure to find a trend that favors your team.

NFL Wagering: Expert Advice and Tips for Prop Betting Profit
by Chris Vasile - 7/26/2019

In today's world, patience is a virtue that very few people have left in them. We live in a world with lightning-quick Internet, instant message and in a world where fast food reigns supreme. People love getting instant gratification. In the sports betting world, that also holds true. It's one thing to sit through a 3.5-hour football game between two mediocre teams only to suffer a bad beat on a completely meaningless last-minute touchdown that does nothing but affects the point spread and burns your ticket.

NFL Handicapping Tips: Which Public Teams Affect the Betting Odds
by Paul Buck - 7/25/2019

There are two memorable events every professional football fan and sports bettor should experience. The first is walking into a packed NFL stadium for a big game just before kickoff and feel the anticipation in the air. The other is walking into a Las Vegas casino on an NFL Sunday with every game broadcast and soaking up the atmosphere of all the hollering and moaning that are going on at the same time.

College Football Betting Advice: Public Teams Shaded by Oddsmakers
by Paul Buck - 7/25/2019

The college football landscape essentially follows regional divides. The South is dominated by the SEC. The ACC controls the Mid-Atlantic States and pockets in the Panhandle State. The Big Ten has a tremendous following in the Midwest, and the Big 12 garners the attention of the Southwest and western pockets of the Midwest. And the Pac-12 is closely followed on the left coast and points west of the Rockies.

Baseball Handicapping Tips: Understanding MLB Public Betting Teams
by Paul Buck - 7/25/2019

As compared to the NFL, the NBA and college football, baseball, for the most part, is a moneyline betting sport. No question there are plenty of people making MLB picks on baseball totals and the sport has a point spread with run line wagering, but most utilize the moneyline.

Golf Betting Tips: Expert Head-to-Head Betting Strategy and Wagering Advice
by Doc's Sports - 7/16/2019

Golf isn't like any other sport to bet on. In most cases, a game is played between two teams, and the team with the most points, runs, goals, etc. wins. Golf is a game that features well over 120 participants in any given tournament. And while the goal of shooting the lowest total over the four rounds is constant from week to week, the circumstances surrounding the tournament are completely different.

NFL Betting 101: How Important is Home-Field Advantage?
by Trevor Whenham - 6/26/2019

The next chapter in our exploration of the basics of betting on football brings us to the topic of home-field advantage. This is an interesting topic because there is a lot that we know about it but as much that we don't really know - and it can be something that some bettors rely upon too heavily in making their bets.

NFL Betting 101 Stats that Matter for Pro Football Handicapping
by Trevor Whenham - 6/26/2019

It's time for the next chapter in our exploration of the basics of betting on football. This time we are going to talk about statistics. There are violent crimes committed against logic and reason every day, with statistics used as the assault weapon.

NFL Betting 101: Bankroll Management Expert Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 6/26/2019

One way you can tell the difference between a casual bettor and a betting geek is how they feel about talking about bankroll management. The casual bettors probably feel like nothing is more boring. They don't understand good bankroll management, and they don't care. They just want to bet. The betting geek, though, obsesses about bankroll management.

Good Wagers for Bets: Expert Sports Handicappers Make Money by Thinking Outside the Box
by Paul Buck - 6/25/2019

In the first part of this century, when offshore betting was really catching fire and the money was flowing, there all sorts of people promoting to anyone who thought they could pick a sports betting winner that they should jump in the game. It was so simple (at least that was said), build a website, work four or five hours a day, and in no time at all, you are pulling in $100,000 a year selling picks.

Betting the MLB Runline: Expert Advice and Wagering Tips
by Chris Vasile - 6/24/2019

Winning a game in a professional sports league of any kind can be difficult for even the best teams. Very few teams have gone through a season undefeated (only NFL Teams), and even then, not every win is as easy as teams hoped they would be -- even the margin of victory is sometimes too close for comfort.

Betting the WNBA Tips and Advice from Expert Women's Basketball Handicappers
by Trevor Whenham - 6/14/2019

Every year at this time someone asks me the same question - should I bet on the WNBA? The answer is pretty much the same every time - absolutely. There is the practical reason - with the NBA and the NFL seasons done, baseball in the dog days of summer, and there's no World Cup or Olympics to distract us, it's not like we have a whole lot better to do. But beyond that, there are lots of reasons to bet this league. Here are three of the biggest ones:

Understanding and Learning How to Calculate Expected Value EV for Sports Betting
by Chris Vasile - 6/12/2019

Odds. Probability. Chance. Expected Value. Pythagorean Theorem. Calculus. Trigonometry. All of these concepts are math subjects that teachers try to teach students in order to help them better understand the world of numbers. However, the unfortunate reality is that many of their students will second guess the reason these subjects are being taught to them because they simply don't believe they will ever need to use them in their day-to-day life.

Seven Mistakes Smart Bettors Avoid When Betting Sports
by Paul Buck - 6/10/2019

Being in the sports betting industry for more than two decades as a sports bettor, writer and handicapping expert, for the most part I have heard it all. Among the favorites that come to mind is a bettor complaining about losing after what they purchased went 5-2 on a single day. Another that is top of the mind is hitting 11 of 12 on a 12-team teaser and them wondering how they lost picking so many winners.

MLB Baseball First Five Innings Betting Strategy
by Paul Buck - 6/6/2019

At about the time major league baseball organizations began to embrace the analytics of baseball (roughly 2010-12 area), betting a baseball game for the first five innings really started to increase each year. Analytics has altered the betting landscape; not in the same way money lines did to run lines years ago, but they've created more options for sportsbooks and those betting baseball. Here is a detailed look into the various aspects of strategy, reasons why, and rules to place baseball bets on the first five innings of a game.

What Happens to My Bet if My Horse Scratches?
by Chris Vasile - 5/23/2019

In regards to sports betting, there are certain things that a bettor cannot control once a bet is placed. An example of this would be a pitching change in baseball prior to a game starting. In horse racing, when a horse is acting up prior to post time, a "scratch" may occur, which means that horse will not longer be part of the race. It's a part of the sport that bettors aren't able to handicap for, and oftentimes a "scratch" of a particular horse can alter the entire complexion of the race.

What Happens to My Sports Bet if the Odds Change?
by Chris Vasile - 5/17/2019

If you want to take your skills to those of a good handicapper to those of a great handicapper, there are several things you can do to achieve that. For starters, you can read all our Betting Tips pages. The second thing you can do is learn about money management. And the third thing you can do -if you have time- is watch and learn how point spread lines move and why they do so.