Tips to avoid the big losses by taking calculated risks, trusting your instincts and sticking to what you know.
10 Tips for Sports Gambling
1. Be Careful of Scams
Be extremely careful if sports books are calling you and offering gambling packages over the phone. This is a good way to get scammed, especially if they ask you for your credit card number. If possible, it is a good idea to do business with a sports book that will not contact you over the phone about promotional offers or bonuses. This makes it easier to weed out scam artists.
2. Know the Rules
If you plan to open a sports book account online, it is a very good idea to read all the rules. In fact, I would advise you to read them twice. Less reputable books will try to stick it to you in the fine print. It is also a good idea to make sure sports books have multiple avenues for correspondence.
3. Shop for Numbers
Different sports books will often offer different numbers on different sports. This can make a huge difference when it comes time to place your bet. While a league like the NFL will often have similar lines at most books, other sports like NCAA, MLB, and the NBA will often vary.
Since books usually adjust the lines according to the betting patterns of their customers, you can sometimes find up to a two or three point difference on the lines. A couple of points difference can often be the difference between winning and losing a bet, so take the time to look around.
4. Shop for Odds
For those of you who like to bet on parlays and teasers, you know that there’s a lot of money to be made on such wagers. But did you know that many books have different odds? These variations can translate into a huge difference on your payout, so it will serve you well to shop around and find the best odds.
5. Find a Niche
The sports books have to attempt to keep up with every sport. In some cases, this can mean that certain less popular sporting events or games are only given minimal attention. As a bettor, you do not have this disadvantage. In fact, it would serve you well to find a niche and study it exhaustively.
Take sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, for example. The books have to concentrate on NCAA football and the NFL, but they may not pay as close attention to these events. Use this to your advantage. If you know more about what is going on than the bookmaker, then you are in a prime position to place a winning bet.
6. Know Your Sports Book
Find out about a sports book’s reputation before you place a bet with them (or before you give them your credit card information). If you’re not sure, then ask questions. You can even find betting forums on the Internet and get opinions there. Remember, when it comes to a book’s reputation, there are no stupid questions.
7. Trust Your Instincts
If the book you’re using is making you uncomfortable or something doesn’t feel right, then choose another. There are too many books out there to use one which makes you feel uneasy.
8. Bet at the Right Time
Professional bettors often tend to bet on underdogs, and they almost always bet on them early. Less skilled gamblers will often bet closer to the start of a sporting event, and they are prone to bet on the favorites.
If you choose to bet on a favorite, it’s a good idea to place your bet early in the week when the pros are betting on the underdogs. If you want to bet on an underdog, then it’s a good idea to bet as late as possible, when the suckers are betting on the favorites. This doesn’t work all the time, but it can be a useful rule of thumb.
9. Protect Your Account
If you maintain an online sports book account, change your password occasionally and write it down. There’s no point in taking an unnecessary risk.
10. Be Realistic
If a bonus sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When betting on sports, it’s important to keep a realistic mindset. Looking to get something for nothing will usually cost you in the long run.
