The 4 Biggest Sports Betting Myths

I think many sports bettors – or just sports fans in general – have some misconceptions about sports betting and how to bet on sports. These misconceptions end up costing people money because they make mistakes. I don’t want you to lose money betting on sports. This blog was created as a means for providing real sports betting assistance. So hopefully these 4 myths will help you stop making mistakes!

Myth #1: The best team is the best bet

The best team is the best bet to win over a series of games, straight up. That doesn’t mean the best team is always the best bet against the spread or even on a straight bet. There are certain factors you must take into consideration. First off, sometimes there is no value in betting the best team.

For example, let’s say the Packers are -480 against Oakland at +320. Sure, Green Bay is the better team and will beat the Raiders more often than not. But to bet on Green Bay, you have to risk $480 just to win $100. Where’s the value? When betting against the spread, the best team isn’t always the best bet because you have to realize that the oddsmakers have already taken into consideration the fact that the favorite is the better team.

Myth #2: Games are fixed

When a bad call goes against the team you have money on or a fluke play happens late in the game so a team covers the spread, people cry foul. Games are NOT fixed. Sure, there have been some games that were fixed by bookies, but that is a very small percentage of games.

What most people don’t realize is refs make mistakes. Sometimes they just happen to be at a significant part of the game. That doesn’t mean the ref is fixing the game. Similarly, fluke plays happen (i.e. a fumble recovered for a TD with 20 seconds left so a team covers the 20-point spread). No one mentions the fluke plays that happen late in games when it doesn’t help a team cover the spread.

Myth #3: The sports media knows what they’re talking about

If you’re anything like me, you love watching ESPN College Gameday and NFL Countdown. Those shows are highly entertaining and help get me ready for football. However, I don’t EVER make my picks based on what the analysts on ESPN make. Like I said, the shows are entertaining, but the analysts are NOT experts. They are paid to ENTERTAIN.

If your bets are based on which mascot Lee Corso will put on, you’re screwed! Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Berman, etc. don’t know a darn thing about anything. They’re paid to entertain you. They are not experts. It’s not just ESPN that you should ignore when making picks. The majority of those in the sports media are clueless. Make your own picks!

Myth #4: Touts win 80%+ of their games

A tout is someone that assists you in betting on games. They usually charge you money. It is true that some are actually quite skilled at betting on sports. Most are NOT. However, even the skilled touts will BS you into thinking they win at a rate that simply is not attainable.

The best sports bettors win about 60% of their games against the spread, with the absolute best getting around 65%. I’m talking about the best of the best here. So even if you do have a top handicapper assisting you, don’t buy into any “I win 80% of my games” nonsense. No one can pull that off over a large sample size.