The Difference Between Winning and Losing Sports Bettors

If you were to randomly pick winners against the spread for 100 games, you would likely win about 50% of them (or lose 50%, if your glass is half empty). Unfortunately, 50% isn’t even good enough to break even. You need to win about 52.4% of your games if you’re going to break even. So if you want to actually profit at the sportsbooks, you’ll need to devise a plan to win consistently.

Most sports bettors lose or, at best, break even. This is a difficult gig, but it’s not impossible. I can assure you there are plenty of folks out there making bank betting on sports. These aren’t your average sports bettors. They do certain things that sets them apart from the rest. What are those “things”? These…

Handicapping Their Own Games Versus Getting Advice Elsewhere

I get a kick out of those TV and Internet ads with 900-numbers for alleged experts that have a “lock” on tonight’s game. If you have a “lock”, why share it with the general public? The winning sports bettors don’t rely on betting services or friends that “have a hunch on Michigan”. They do the dirty work on their own. That means watching ballgames, analyzing trends, paying close attention to match-ups, etc. Handicapping should be done on your own or by a trusted partner that truly understands sports betting. Paying $8.99 a minute to get a “lock of the week” will leave you out about $30 for the phone call and your lost bet.

Organized Financially Versus Disorganized Financially

Think of being a professional sports bettor like you’re running a business. Money management skills are crucial. You cannot get by without knowing how much money you have on hand and how much you can afford to bet on each game. The smart bettors are tight with their money. They don’t win a big parlay and then spend it all on hookers and Cognac later that night. Instead, they invest it – or most of it – in future wagers. Keep the bankroll in tact at all times. Don’t spend your winnings. Losing sports bettors get carried away every time they win a game. This is a good way to end up going broke.

Analyzing Every Angle of a Game Versus Making Random Guesses

Many sports bettors may as well just flip a coin when choosing a team to bet on. They would have just as good of a chance to win. The sports bettors that make money doing this analyze every angle of a game. They don’t just look at a match-up and say, “Team A has more talent than Team B, so I’m taking Team A to cover”. There are many other factors to consider when breaking down a game, such as:

• Weather conditions
• Home/road splits
• Potential in-game mismatches an inferior team could exploit
• Recent results
• How a team performs against the type of team they are facing

The best sports bettors are ones that dig deep when breaking down a game. They outthink the sportsbooks. They don’t necessarily have inside information about how healthy certain players are or if the star quarterback is going through marriage problems. But they do have a good understanding of how each team is likely to perform based on that game’s conditions. The losing sports bettors basically just make random, uneducated guesses. You’ll never win at sports betting if this is your strategy.