5 Possible Holes in Your Sports Betting Game

Struggling to make money at the sportsbook? That’s never a fun situation. But I do have some good news for you. You don’t have to give up. Instead, let me see if I can help you improve your game. Chances are you are making one of these 5 common mistakes:

Making uneducated guesses

Most sports bettors basically make random guesses as to which team they think will cover. They may have been casually watching both teams and come to the conclusion Team A > Team B. Casually watching games without knowing advanced trends and stats won’t get you far in sports betting. Proper handicapping requires in-depth analysis of both teams involved.

Betting too much on one game

A smart sports bettor doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket. Sports betting is a long-term investment. Bet 1-2 units per game. Don’t bet 1-2 units on most games and then wager 20 units on one game you think is a “lock” or you are trying to make up for a bad streak of losses. Stick to a consistent betting routine. Don’t chase your losses. Chasing your losses is a way to lose all your money fast. Make the losses up over time instead of trying to win them all back on one game.

Buying into the public hype

Some sports bettors simply watch too much TV. Listening to analysts on networks such as ESPN won’t get you far with your sports bets. They don’t know anymore about the teams than the average fan. The general public mostly bets along with what they hear on TV or read about on the Internet. In most cases, betting against the general public is where you’ll make your money. There are many underdogs worth betting on simply because the point spread is so high thanks to the general public riding the favorite hard.

Playing too many parlays and teasers

It’s okay to bet the occasional parlay or teaser. In some cases, there’s better value in buying points through a teaser or playing a 4-team parlay if you’re confident in the games. But there gets to a point where, if every bet is a teaser or parlay, it might be time to change things up. Yes, betting individual games against the spread doesn’t pay out at the rate a parlay or teaser does, but you also have a better chance of winning your bet. When you’re only relying on one team to come through, you’ll win more games. The key is to get above 53% winners ATS and then you’ll win money.

Listening to the guy in the sportsbook that has a “lock”

If you spend enough time in sportsbooks, you might get to know a few handicappers. Most of them are complete morons. Some bettors make the mistake of listening to these dolts when they say, “I have a lock”. They don’t have jack squat! Do NOT listen to some 70-year old grumpy old man sitting in a sportsbook. He doesn’t know a damn thing about betting. He’s been losing on ballgames for 40 years. Handicap your own games.