Since the Supreme Court’s decision to let states legalize sports gambling, sports betting has become a lot more common. But it’s still a vice, and one that can quickly derail your life.
There are no easy wins in sports betting, and very few people turn a profit over the long haul. But you can learn some valuable tips from the pros to help improve your chances of winning — and losing less money.
Avoid media noise and bias
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is making bets based on the opinions of sports talking heads. It’s a huge waste of your time and energy to listen to shows or read articles that are nothing more than biased opinion. Instead, focus on the matchups and numbers themselves. A good way to do this is by covering up the names of teams when you bet on a game. This forces you to dissect the matchup without the influence of bias and allows you to be more objective.
It also helps to do some research into the different sportsbooks and their vig rates. This can be done by searching online or checking out the betting sheets in the sportsbook itself. This is especially important for bets on props and team totals, which tend to have larger variances between sportsbooks. This is especially true for lower-level leagues like hockey, boxing and MMA, where the differences can be substantial. The best bettors are able to find the best prices and lowest vig on these types of wagers.