Online Guide for New Players
So, you love sports and want to make money through online betting? Great idea—but it’s easier said than done. You can predict Novak Djokovic to beat an unranked player in a tennis tournament. However, winning at sports betting consistently is a challenge. Some games are incredibly competitive and picking a winner requires in-depth analysis. Here, we’ll share some actionable tips to help you succeed in sports betting. Ready? Let’s get started.
#1 – Pick a Sport and Become an Expert
As a beginner, the best way to win consistently is to specialize in one or two sports. There’s no shortage of sports you can bet on—from soccer and cricket to eSports and boxing. Pick your favorite sport and learn more about it. Watch soccer matches from multiple leagues and tournaments if you choose the sport. Learn how different teams play, their past and present records, key players, and coaching styles. The goal is to look for patterns you could leverage to win regularly.
As an example, let’s say you discover the big six soccer clubs in England score an average of three goals against the bottom six teams. However, they also tend to concede at least one goal in each match. This pattern could inspire you to bet on Over 2.5 goals when a team like Liverpool faces Norwich City. The chances of winning are high according to your analysis.
#2 – Choose a Good Site
Your plan is to bet online. So, invest in a quality betting site even if it means spending several days comparing potential picks. You might ask: what should you look for in an online bookmaker? First, pick a licensed and trustworthy sportsbook. This online betting guide for new players explains more on how to find trustworthy betting sites. It also includes a list of recommended sportsbooks in India to help you save time.
That being said, choose a bookie with a user-friendly app. Then ensure it provides a wide range of betting markets. Not just your favorite sports and leagues—look for other sports and competitions to spice up things. Also, look into the sportsbook’s payments and policies. You need a betting site where you can use PayPal, Visa, Bitcoin, or your favorite payment option. And you should do it while using low fees, and flexible limits.
#3 – Learn About Different Bet Types
Knowing a lot about football and baseball is great, but do you know all the ways you could bet? First up is the money line. Here, you pick a winner when two teams or athletes compete. Next, is totals. Total bets involve predicting the total number of points, goals, flags, or kills (eSports) in a competition. Then there are accumulators—you accumulate two or more bets in one slip to increase your profits greatly.
Learn about different bet types to increase your online betting options and potential profits. Picture this. The Golden State Warriors could be on a winning streak in the NBA. So, they have unattractive odds against their next competitor—the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have been average, so there’s a great chance the Warriors could win. But instead of settling for the Warriors’ poor odds—you could pick a handicap bet. The aim is to predict by how many points Golden State will win.
Let’s say you predict the Warriors will win by over five points. If you’re correct, you could make more money than someone who simply bet on Golden State to win.
#4 – Focus on Quality Odds
Many beginners focus on winning too much that they overlook the odds of a sports team. Someone could choose Brazil to beat Norway in a match at odds 1.20. The problem: you win $20 for every $100 you bet. Yet, you could shop around to find a betting site giving you 1.50 odds for the same match. In this case, your $100 bet will earn you $50. Better yet, you could find odds on other bet types, say Brazil leading by half-time and winning at the end of a game.
Another way to find quality odds is to find teams or athletes that seem underestimated by the bookmakers. A case in point is the recently completed F1 season. Lewis Hamilton had odds of 4/6 (1.67) while Max Verstappen came second at 13/5 (2.6).
Now, let’s say your analysis had led you to believe team Mercedes were following a strategy that put them at risk of losing. In that case, Max’s odds made him the favorite to win even though bookmakers felt otherwise. In the end, you would have won $260 on a $100 bet, much better than the $167 Hamilton would have earned you.
#5 – Claim Fair Bonuses Only
One of the most exciting bits of betting online is the freebies. They promise a way to bet on sports without using up your account balance. The best part is that you can cash out profits made through bonuses. But here’s the problem: every betting bonus comes with terms and conditions. Sometimes these terms can be tough to complete. Due to that, it’s essential to read the fine print before you accept any betting freebies. That being said, betting through free bets is a great idea. So, look out for great freebies regularly and claim the sweetest offers.
#6 – Follow Your Budget and Think Long-term
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a bettor is to spend money without a budget and goals. It’s even worse when you gamііble on sports to become rich quickly. In many cases, success in sports betting comes after years of online betting. Set a monthly budget and break it down to help you determine how much to spend on every prediction. If you can afford $200 per month, you could spend it on ten predictions worth $20 each. Or you could spread out the risk with 20 predictions at a cost of $10 per bet.
With your budget in mind, set goals to achieve. Maybe you could target to win three out of five predictions or 60% of your bets. A 60% winning rate is an incredible achievement in the sports betting industry.