No matter how long you’ve been around sports betting, you’ve surely got a system for picking winners.
Some believe in analyzing statistics and letting numbers dictate which team to bet on with no emotion involved whatsoever to avoid betting mistakes.
Some look at the rosters of the two teams and try to handicap the games based on the individual matchups on the field or court. Others still prefer to just look at line movement and fade what the public has bet upon right before the start of the game.
Don’t Succumb to Emotions or Biases
All of these methods have been tried and true for amateurs and professionals alike on all of the best betting websites. But when it comes to how to bet on sports online, the difference between a “Pro” and a “Joe” is sticking to your strategy no matter what.
If you’re a numbers bettor, you have to remove any of your personal thoughts from the game. If your stats suggest that betting against Jake Arrieta presents great value, you can’t talk yourself out of the bet because Arrieta is seemingly unbeatable.
You also shouldn’t fade your thoughts that the Browns should cover with the points against the Steelers just because Pittsburgh has historically dominated the series.
If you’re someone who likes to analyze rosters, don’t get caught up in giving preferential handicapping treatment to your favorite players or the guys who are on your fantasy team, and certainly don’t bet on or against someone just because of the name.
Other Common Betting Mistakes
Another mistake amateur matchup handicappers make is putting too much value in a player injury or suspension.
If you’re fading the public, go ahead and do it in every spot, not just the ones which seem to be the most favorable to you. There are going to be plenty of spots, particularly with home underdogs in sports that just look fishy.
How often in college football is an unranked team favored at home against a ranked team? It happens all the time. That’s also when the most “upsets” happen in sports.
Betting Strategies To End a Losing Streak
Aside from this, the other major problem amateur bettors tend to have is that they go “on tilt.” Generally speaking, this is a term used in poker. When someone loses a big hand, they tend to want to get all of their chips back with their very next hand, and they tend to overplay the situation.
However, this exact same thing happens in sports betting, too. Losing five or six games in a row is bound to happen in an industry where winning 54 percent of the time is going to make you a rich man or woman. You can’t keep chasing your losing bets by increasing your wager size. Bankroll management is a incredibly important factor of becoming a successful sports gambler.
It’s Even Harder When Winning
The same works in the other direction too, though. The argument could be made that more money is lost when bettors are hot than when bettors are cold. We’ve all gone on those streaks where it feels like we just can’t lose, and every bet looks like a sure winner.
Bettors who are riding high tend to make foolish mistakes with money. Just because you’ve won four or five games in a row doesn’t mean you should be wavering from your system, whether it be betting games that don’t really meet your system or betting more than you’re used to.
The Best Sports Betting Tip: Stick to Your Guns
Sports betting is an art form which must be mastered. It’s easy to deviate from the course, but it’s generally bankroll suicide when you do so.
Stick to what you know and your system, and you’ll find your online sportsbook balance growing steadily over time even if not every day or every week or even every month is a winning one.
Looking to explore some other popular forms of sports betting? Check out Parlay Betting: An Introduction
