Betting

Sports betting may be a game of chance as much as any other form of betting, but it stands out because of the sheer amount of possibilities that it presents to players. The fact that the sport being bet on is typically of interest to the punter is also a major driver, as it personalises the stakes more and requires sporting knowledge to potentially win more regularly. 

Before getting stuck in, I’d say it is always worth clueing yourself in with the sports market jargon, as well as things like how the odds work and the different types of markets that are available on each sport. With that in mind, I would also recommend only betting on markets of sports you at least know well, rather than betting blindly.

🥷Betting strategy

After you have picked a betting site, whether it is one of the established and trustworthy old brands or a recently launched new betting site, I always recommend immediately employing a strict bankroll management system as an imperative. Without being able to bet within your means and responsibly, strategy becomes obsolete. 

After a financial boundary is set, I would highly recommend combining value betting with thorough research. The key is spotting opportunities, for example, seeing  odds of 2/1 on a team you have background knowledge of is an important asset. The implied probability of a 2/1 chance is 33.3%, but if your research points more towards a win being closer to 50% probability (1/1), then it appeals as a potential betting opportunity. 

Once you have your research nailed down, my best advice is to pick a game that is enabled for live streaming (make sure the betting site/app is well equipped for this). Focusing on in-play bets whilst you are watching an event live gives you a greater understanding of momentum, player form, and current match events. Live odds - if kept track of - can be some of the most favourable out there. Sometimes bookies may miscalculate probability due to the ever changing nature of the live game, so it’s always best to be first to exploit this.

To further refine this strategy, I always find it useful to hone in on and specialise in niche markets like under/over booking points in football for example, or leg-by-leg betting on darts. Even going as far as to research lower league sports more is a fantastic way to boost your chances of winning. Often these markets aren’t monitored as closely by bookies, so the odds fluctuate massively or lesser known teams can be underestimated. 

💸 How to win on betting?

There are many different ways to answer this question, but a good starting place with sports betting is to put together a defined budget. Once you’ve done that, the key thing is to stick to your strengths and to choose your moments. 

Sports betting can seem so simple, but when variance is so high, markets can sometimes seem more plausible than they are. This is why it is key to always have a firm grasp on the sport that you’re putting bets on. 

By extension of this, as much as bet boosts may always seem alluring at first glance, there is always a reason why the market is being promoted.

For example, Mohammed Salah to score against Burnley might have been boosted to evens (1/1), but in reality, the bookies know Salah has only ever scored twice against the Clarets in 9 starts for Liverpool. Now, most casual players won’t know this immediately, but it is in their best interest to always assume there is more to an odds boost.

I’d say the key to sports betting is: research, research, research. Bet responsibly and never with your heart. If the statistics point one way and your heart is telling you to risk it; this practice will get you nowhere. Sure, you may think it will come from one lucky win, but the odds are severely stacked against you.

🖊️ Popular betting methods

Betting online offers a plethora of different betting markets. The most popular form of betting is the Moneyline bet, where players bet on the outcome of a contest. 

Other popular forms of betting include accumulators, which  combines multiple selections across a combination of different markets into one bet. Also markets like over/under betting are used regularly by players in bet slips. 

Here are how some of the most popular forms of betting work:

Moneyline betting

Also known as three-way betting or 1x2 betting, this bet will underscore the foundations of your wagering in sports whenever a draw is a possibility. The moneyline bet essentially backs players to predict one of three possible outcomes for a team or player - a win, a draw or a loss. 

This is one of the most straightforward forms of betting, but one that is often overlooked, especially if used as part of a combination bet or an accumulator.

Live betting

Live betting is fast becoming one of the most popular forms of betting due to increases in streaming technologies and the integration of these technologies into mobile platforms. Its popularity stems from the many advantages it presents for punters, allowing decisions to be made on the basis of precise and current form.

It’s also a great way to capitalise on better and less informed odds from the bookies. Match or game events in these circumstances are usually more erratic and result in equally as erratic odds. Predicting an event during live play can be one of the most fruitful ways to secure a win.

While the functionality is the same for live betting as pre-match, there are a couple of things you should consider if you want to be successful long term:

• Can you read the flow of the game?

• Do you understand the impact of the different events on the field?

• Are you receiving the highest odds at your betting site?

Asian Handicap

Asian Handicap betting markets are most common in football, allowing punters to make stakes on a proposed goal advantage before the game.

This advantage essentially provides one side with an advantage (+) or a deficit (-) before a match kicks off, in order to try and level the playing field as fairly as possible. This nullifies the potential of a draw (1x2), meaning the result will either always be a win or a loss.

Asian handicap figures are almost always signalled as half goals (e.g., ±1.5), or quarter goals (±0.25). Sometimes whole goal handicaps can even offer a stake refund, or a ‘push’, if the match finishes in a tie.

Over/under odds

Over/odds are one of the staple markets of sports betting. Essentially, an event is bet on with the outcome either falling in under, or over the variant - which is known as the ‘line’. For example, if the preagreed under/over value is 2.5 goals in a football game, you are able to either bet on the total number of goals exceeding 2.5 (3 or more) or falling lower than 2.5 (2 or less). 

Essentially, instead of betting on which team will score individually - which is often a tougher task - you can bet on the cumulative score of any given game instead..

Bet Builder

Bet Builders can offer players some of the best odds out there, but also some of the riskiest. The allure of a bet builder lies in the ability you have to combine multiple markets together, even from different sports, to compound the odds of each individual bet.

With more selections comes greater odds, increasing the payout significantly. But with greater odds, the more difficult or riskier the bet is to come in. For punters that are fans of more than one sport, this is always an enjoyable mechanic to use.

Cash Out

The cash out mechanic is common across most sports betting sites. Essentially, the cash out feature allows players to do exactly as it says on the tin and call time on their bet. It can be a good option if your bet is winning in a close game and you’re struggling to hold your nerve, though  cashing out bets is generally only available at certain times during a game, with some pivotal match events leading to its temporary suspensions.

When cash out is available, players are able to take their money and go, though it will usually not be as much as the total sum of the initial return if the game is still live. The same can be said for if a bet is currently losing, players can cash out and cut their losses - usually returning far less than the stake, but ultimately more than nothing.