The Supreme Court opened up sports gambling to the masses in 2018-but don’t be fooled. This new age gambling isn’t just about hitting up a local bookie, it’s about betting on sports leagues through apps right from your phone. Add peer pressure from your sports-loving friends, stacked odds and a lack of self-control, and you’ve got yourself a broke mess on your hands.
The good news is, there are a few tricks you can do to make your sports bets more profitable. It all starts with a solid plan of attack. This could be as simple as making sure you always have your money in order and knowing how much to bet on each game. It could also involve hedging your bets to lock in a certain amount of profit or minimize losses, regardless of the outcome of a game.
You should also take into account the unique circumstances surrounding a particular team or player. If you’re betting on a team that you support, it’s important to be able to remove yourself from the emotion of the game and focus on picking the most likely outcome. This means doing a little research on the team or players involved, looking at their history and current performance, as well as their head-to-head matchups with other teams.
Another trick is to know how to read the odds. For example, our brains have been programmed to think that a minus sign (-) indicates a negative outcome and a plus sign (+) indicates a positive one. But in sports betting, the opposite is true. If a team has a – sign in front of their odds, that team is the underdog and you should bet against them. Similarly, if a team has a plus sign in front of their odds, that team will win the game and you should bet on them.
Finally, be sure to keep track of your bets and learn from your mistakes. Many professional sports bettors, known as sharps, maintain profitability by keeping near-obsessive records of their bets and constantly testing their theories. They’re also very clear that there is no “winning formula” for sports betting, and even the most disciplined of sharps will lose some games from time to time.
Ultimately, the best way to make money sports betting is by becoming an expert in a specific sport. This will not only improve your winning percentage but will also help you land a job in the field of sports, from analytics jobs to player acquisitions. It’s not for everyone, but if you do it right, sports betting can be more than just a fun way to pass the time. It can be a lucrative career option that allows you to combine your passion for sports with your love of money. Just don’t let it eat your whole bankroll.